


𝚂𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚕 || Shadow the Hedgehog x Reader

by d00dledawn



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Asexual Relationship, F/M, Reader-Insert, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), Sonic The Hedgehog - Freeform, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, a bit of sonic x reader too, manic the hedgehog - Freeform, reader has special powers, shadow the hedgehog x reader, shadow the hedgehog/reader - Freeform, shadow/reader - Freeform, silver the hedgehog - Freeform, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:41:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28867161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d00dledawn/pseuds/d00dledawn
Summary: 𝘴𝘶·𝘱𝘦𝘳·𝘯𝘢𝘵·𝘶·𝘳𝘢𝘭(𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵) 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦Since you can remember, you were always different from the other children, there was just something about you that was always a little--off; you could see things that no one else could see. This sight allowed you to see the creatures of myth and mystery: the Supernatural. But unlike the stories, these creatures were all very real, and when the delicate balance between your world and theirs is threatened to unleash hell, it's up to you, a strange cop, a flirty cashier, and maybe a few undead friends to put a stop to it--Or die trying.|| The reader is female in this, but all are welcome to read|| Also on Quotev and Wattpad
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue || Down by the Bay

𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖑𝖚𝖗𝖐𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗?

☠

I remember the first time I saw a ghost as if it were just yesterday. Around the time I was about four or five and my mother, father, and I lived in a small house down by a lake. I would often go out to the lake with my father and we would fish or go swimming. Well, recently then, my father had passed away; suicide by taking a swan dive off an abandoned building. The police said he had been intoxicated, and most likely not thinking straight. Whatever the case, he was gone; he left me and my mom to fend for ourselves. My mom was pissed at my dad and often took out her frustrations on drugs and alcohol. Often, she would come home from work and drink until she passed out in the living room. 

Because of that, I was left to my own doing most of the time, and this incident was no different. While my mom was out to get more drinks or whatever, I decided to go down to the lake for some fresh air. It was a cloudy, humid, and windy kind of day; the sky threatening to rain at any moment. I slipped on my old yellow raincoat and ran down to the lake. 

At first, I didn't see him there, but as I approached closer, I realized there was a figure sitting at the shore. This puzzled me, for this was private property. I'd never seen another person who came there before, but I soon recognized this person was not a stranger.

"Papa?" I said. My father turned his head around, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey baby, wanna come fish with me?" he asked. Now, any reasonable adult would have bolted right there and then, but I was a naive baby who loved her father and wanted to be with him.

I sat down on the soft earth next to my father, feeling the dampness of the grass and mud beneath me. I would surely ruin my clothing by the time I got home, not that I cared. I looked up at my father as the rain began to pour down harder and I saw his expression was distant as he gazed out into the water. 

"Papa," I began softly. "When are you going to come home?" My father's face twitched and flickered for a moment as if he was beginning to fade from reality.

"(N/n), I'll always be with you, no matter where you are. I love you, my baby," your father said, closing his eyes. I smiled, nothing but innocence in my eyes.

"I love you too papa, lots and lots,"

And just like that, he was gone. The rain began to pour harder and harder, and the sky began to tremble with thunder. This was the beginning of something much bigger than I could ever fathom.

☠

"I'm going to miss you," my mother told me, her face stern and blank as always.

"I know momma, I will too," I reassured her, setting the last of my boxes in my trunk. My mother looked at me, the walls inside of her slowly crumbling down. With her aging (e/c) shimmering with tears, she slowly reached her hands out for me and pulled me into a hug. A few strands of grey hair fell into her face as she struggled to keep her composer. I tucked those strands of her out of her face and buried myself into her neck.

"Please be safe, you're all I have left," my mother said softly, her voice cracking. I stroked her back, never once letting her go until it was time. 

"I won't be far, just a phone call away," I said, trying to cheer her up. My mother nodded, wiping her snot covered face.

"Go out there and kick some ass," she chuckled, trying to regain her normal "don't-give-a-damn" look.

"You got it," I winked. Getting into my car I felt a wave of relief rush over me. I started up the engine and begin to drive off, not looking back. 

It had been sixteen years since the death of my father; I was now twenty and finally moving out on my own to search for my purpose in life. I hated moving, for I had done it my whole childhood, but I was determined to find the perfect place to settle for good. My grandparents had just bought a new house and were giving me their old place in the quaint little town, Solz. I didn't know much about the place, only a few scarce memories I had of going there as a child. 

I did know that it was quite the morbid town and was famous for its grotesque murders that happened during the days of old. There probably wasn't a house in the town that didn't have some sort of haunting in it. At least, I would find that out soon enough. I still saw apparitions everywhere I went but after the sixth physiatrist, I learned to keep quiet about the whole seeing the undead thing. My mom would always yell at me and tell me I was insane every time I came crying because I saw someone walking down the street with their head cut off. She never believed me, not that I blame her much, how could she believe me? 

But still, it's hard sometimes to contain my screams when you're sitting next to some rotting guy with maggots falling out of his eyes on the bus. Now, most ghosts aren't grotesque as the ones I mentioned, but it's still unnerving staring into the eyes of someone's great-grandfather while you're trying to brush your teeth. As much as I could see the ghosts, however, very few would interact with me. Most would just faze through me and go about trying to complete their unfinished business. And if they did speak to me, the majority of the time, it was to ask for directions. 

And don't even get me started on all the other weird and bizarre creatures I had to deal with daily. From gnomes in my cupboards to pesky goblins stealing my left socks, I had a plethora of mythical beings who decided to be a nuisance right in front of me. Unlike ghosts, most of these creatures had a conscious and knew I could see them. Yet they still decided to be little bitches and ride on my nerves. Often people would stare and point at me in public as I fought some invisible object like I was reenacting some great battle scene; in reality, I was swatting a pixie trying to steal my sandwich. Nasty bastards. 

The day passed without much excitement, and by nightfall, I made it into Solz. As I drove in, there were still plenty of people on the streets. They all stared at me in shock as I drove down. I felt squeamish underneath their gaze and drove faster towards my grandparent's house. I saw the house right away, a wave of nostalgia rushing through me like a tidal wave. Some of my best memories were made here, some of my only good memories. I got out of the car, staring up at the tattered wood frames. The place looked like it needed some T.L.C; not too surprising, considering my grandparents were pretty old. I walked up to the front door, knocking three times. I heard some shuffling and clattering of cutlery come from within, and soon I was greeted by the familiar smell of cookies and cigarette smoke. 

"(Y/n)!!!" my grandmother cried, the old (f/a) wrapping into the biggest hug ever. I felt the oxygen be squeezed from my lungs as my grandmother coddled me. "Oh (Y/n), it's been too long baby!!" she said, finally loosening her grip. 

"Yeah, it's been a while Mema," I smiled. My grandmother looked at me tenderly. 

"Come inside dear, you must be exhausted," my grandmother took my hand, guiding me inside. "(Gp/n), your grandchild is here!!" 

I heard a low grunt come from the living room, followed by some coughing. The big, lumbering oaf of my grandfather sauntered into the hallway where we stood. 

"Well if it ain't the little squirt, what's up kiddo?" my grandfather asked me. 

"A chicken's ass when it's eating," I replied smugly. My grandfather burst out laughing while my grandmother scolded me. 

"That's my kid, it's good to see you," my grandfather patted my back harshly, making me wince. 

"It's good to see you too, old man," I chuckled. We went into the kitchen; my grandmother had made me a whole five-course meal for my arrival. We ate and ate until our bellies were bursting and spent the rest of the night laughing and catching up on things. 

"(Gp/n) and I have found the perfect retirement home. It's a cute little cottage out in the prairie. We can have some chickens, and a garden, it'll be perfect for us," your grandmother boasted to you, looking quite happy. 

"(Gm/n), don't bore (Y/n) with that giddy bullshit. Guess who got a new gun kid?" my grandfather intervened his wife, much to her displeasure. 

"I don't know Papi, who?" I asked. My grandfather smirked. 

"This guy. I'm going to go on a hunting trip with some buddies of mine this coming up weekend, you should join us," my grandfather offered. 

"Oh (Gp/n), (Y/n)'ll be too busy unpacking and freshening up their new home," my grandmother said. My grandfather looked at me, and I sighed, shaking my head. 

"Sorry Papi, I would love to go hunting with you, but Mema's right, I'll be busy with the house and trying to find a job," I explained. My grandfather scoffed, swatting his hand. 

"Please, with your looks, you'll hook a bunch of jobs in no time,"

"(Gp/n)!!" my grandmother bursting, swatting her husband's arm. A wave of laughter erupted in the room, filling it to the brim. It had been quite some time since I last laughed like that, it felt good. 

"Thanks for believing in me Papi, I appreciate it," I smiled. My grandfather nodded, a wide yawn escaping his lips. 

"Alright, it's time to hit the sack. 'Night kiddo," my grandfather rustled my hair as he walked past. My grandmother sighed, shaking her head. 

"That man," she clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, releasing a long sigh. "I happy you're here (Y/n), I hope you can find yourself at home here."

"Well see Mema, hopefully," I smiled, planting a tender kiss on my grandmother's cheek. "Thank you for everything." My grandmother looked at me, a wave of sadness suddenly appearing briefly behind her warm smile. She cupped my cheek, pulling her forehead close to mine. 

"You're such a brave girl, just like your father," she muttered. A small sadden smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. 

"Thank you," I whispered. My grandmother patted my cheek and then left for bed as tears began falling down her cheeks. I sniffled a little, wiping my face with the sleeve of my sweater. I looked outside for a moment, seeing briefly an apparition appear walking across the yard. I shuddered, a sudden wave of uneasiness washing over me. I quickly ascended the stairs and went to the room I'd always stay in ever since I was small. I plopped down on the bed, a thin layer of dust flying into the air then settling back down on me. I groaned, flipping off my bed and pulling out my sleeping bag. Cleaning could wait until tomorrow, for now, I just wanted to rest.

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ ||


	2. 1 || Trouble with a Capital T

𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖒

☠

The soft symphony of early birds hit my ears as rays of sunlight tickled my face. I groaned, scrunching my nose as I tried to shrink away from the light, hoping to catch a few more winks of sleep. Alas, the day was calling me, and I could not refuse. I slowly emerged from my warm cocoon, my feet hitting the cold wood floor beneath. I shivered, slowly shambling out of my room and down to the kitchen. 

The house was quiet except for the faint rumble of the fridge. On it, was a note that read:

_We left a little early, sorry we didn't get to say goodbye. We love you so much (N/n), please be safe._

_Love Grandma and Grandpa ♥_

A smile caressed my lips as I set the paper down on the counter and grabbed the coffee beans from the cupboard and began to boil some water. I hummed a small tune in my head as I moved around the kitchen. For some reason, I felt good today, like really good. I felt like I could take on anything; I was invincible. Suddenly, a loud crash came from within the living room, completely disintegrating every good feeling a had in my body. 

Adrenaline pumped through me as I hastily grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it forward. Slowly, I crept into the living room with the knife held out in front of me, my eyes scanned the room, trying to find the source of the noise. When I saw nothing I relaxed a little, and even began to laugh. 

"Why am I scared?" I asked myself. "I can see ghosts for Pete's sake, I should be used to-"

"Hello," a voice suddenly came from behind me. I screamed like a banshee, tripping over my own feet. I hit my head against something hard, and my vision faded to black. Slowly I came back to, and my eyes were greeted by another. I opened my mouth to scream again but a cold feeling came over it. "No, no, no, no, no! Please don't scream again, I'm sorry," the hazy figure begged. As my vision came into focus, I realized that the figure was an ivory hedgehog, except he didn't exactly seem fully there. There were brief moments where I could see the walls and window behind him as if he was translucent; he was a ghost. I let out a small sigh, hitting the back of my head on the floor. 

"Jeez, you scared me!" I groaned, sitting up, and through the ghost. 

"O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!" he apologized, moving to be in front of me. He bowed down, his body seemed to be trembling slightly. I rolled my neck, feeling a few pops as I did so. 

"It's fine," I winced. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"I can't believe you can see me. I spotted you from the yard yesterday, and I thought you were looking at me, but when you turned away I thought maybe you didn't," he explained, tapping his fingers on the floor. 

"No, if that was you, then I did see you," I muttered. The hedgehog looked at me puzzled. 

"Wait what?" he asked his eyes like golden pools dancing with confusion. 

"You're not the first ghost and or otherworldly creature I've seen," I admitted. The hedgehog's eyes widened as his jaw dropped slightly in bewilderment. I stared at the hedgehog, studying each of his features. He looked young, but not too much younger than I was. I also had to admit, he was really cute. 

"Is there something on my face?" the hedgehog asked, tilting his head to the side. 

"Nothing," I quickly sputtered out. "So... do you need something? Usually, you ghosts have a reason for still being here, what's yours?" The hedgehog flinched, suddenly shying away. 

"I, um, I don't know," he said softly, ears drooping back. "I don't think I have a purpose for still being here. But when I saw you, I suddenly felt something, so I thought maybe you could help me?" I soaked in his words, a ghost without a purpose? It seemed so bizarre.

"I see," I hummed, furrowing my eyebrows. "I've never really been in this kind of scenario before."

"Oh..." the hedgehog said sadly. "I'm sorry for bothering you, I'll leave you alone if you want."

"Wait!" I said. The hedgehog looked up at me, something flashing within his eyes. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "I never said I wouldn't help you; I just don't know where to start."

A large, bright smile appeared across the hedgehog's face. He leaped forward and tackled me in a chilling hug. 

"Thank you miss uh--!" 

"(Y/n)," I told him. "Just (Y/n) is fine." 

"That's a n-nice name!! And it sounds strangely familiar," the hedgehog pondered. I arched my eyebrow, trying to catch my breath. 

"Did you used to know a (Y/n)?" I questioned. The hedgehog shook his head slowly. 

"I don't think so, I just feel like your name is important to me somehow, I can't explain it--" he said. I let out a small sigh. 

"Well, do you remember your name?" I asked; the question had seemed to jolt the hedgehog out of his thoughts. 

"Uh, yeah, my name is Silver!" he said. 

"Silver," I repeated. "It suits you." Silver scratched his cheek, if he weren't so transparent, I'd assumed he would be blushing. 

"Thanks (Y/n),"

We sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do next. I ran a hand through my hair, allowing myself a moment of brief peace. 

"Alright, well, I have work to do today, so you can just stick around I guess?" I shrugged, standing up gradually. Silver nodded his head, looking around at the many boxes lying around. 

"I'll leave you be; the sun is starting to get a bit much for me anyways," Silver stood up ad began hovering slightly over the ground. I was surprised for a moment, remembering that he was indeed undead; he didn't act like any of the ghosts I'd met before, something was a bit off. "Oh and (Y/n)," Silver suddenly spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Don't go to the lake."

"The lake, what lake?" I asked, but the boy was gone. A sense of dread began to fill in the pit of my stomach as I swallowed a lump forming in my throat. Shaking myself out, I decided to take a trip into town and get some food before I started unpacking. I needed a pick-me-up. 

☠

I didn't feel like driving, so I decided to take a stroll into the main plaza of town instead. As I walked down the leaf litter streets a crisp breeze batted against me, chilling my bones. It was that time of year when summer had long since past and autumn was in full swing. There was something about this season of amber and gold that always appealed to me and the fact that the best holiday of the year was located snug in it as well. This time around, people didn't seem to stare as much. There were a few whose eyes watched me as I passed, but for the most part, everyone seemed to think I was like the rest. 

All was well until my eyes caught sight of a police car across the street. A sudden chill went down my spine, nearly making me halt my steps. A pair of crimson eyes stared at me through the windshield, and for some reason, I felt as if they were judging me. I stared back for a moment, only to turn away because of the sheer intensity of those eyes. There was I moment I thought they were looking through my very soul, which sent my blood-curdling. 

I was suddenly very nervous and sped up my pace until I made it into a small corner grocer. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. What the heck was that? I asked myself, shaking out my jitters. Things just seemed to be getting weirder today, not like that was unusual, but still. I kept a wary eye behind me as I browsed around the shelves, looking for munchies. I got a few frozen dinners, some junk food, and a drink and brought my stuff over to the register. 

The male behind the counter looked up from his phone as I approached, his emerald eyes seeming to brighten at the sight of me. He straightened himself, eyebrows slightly down as his face appeared to try and recognize me. When he couldn't, a slight smirk drew across his lips, and his aura changed. 

"Hey there," the azure hedgehog said. "Find everything you were looking for?"

I nodded slowly, not paying attention to him as I browsed the candy on the shelf next to the conveyer. 

"Yeah," I answered slowly, grabbing a few of my favorite bars and adding them to my haul. The hedgehog nodded and began ringing up my items. Every so often, I would see him look up at me as if he wanted to ask me something. So, to ease the poor boy's suffering, I decided to speak. 

"I'm new in town, and I was wondering if you know of any place I could find a job," I asked, shuffling around my pockets to find my card. 

He chuckled, "Well, if you're looking for a gig, you should go down to the police station, they can help you there. But, to save you the hassle we do have a few open positions here; I could put in a good word for you." The hedgehog winked, making my cheeks flush involuntarily. 

"Uh, I'll look into it," I coughed. "I'm not exactly the stocking shelves and dealing with cranky customers kinda person." The hedgehog laughed, handing me my bag of things. 

"To tell you the truth, I'm not either, but I do what I have to do," he sighed. "Someday I'll get out of here..." The mood shifted to a more melancholy note. 

"Well, I hope you can achieve your dreams or something," I scratched the back of my neck, trying to comfort him. The hedgehog shook his head, snapping back to reality. 

"Yeah, thanks," he grinned. "The name's Sonic, by the way, Sonic the Hedgehog." 

"It's nice to meet you Sonic the Hedgehog, my name's (Y/n)," I smiled. 

"A fitting name for such a beautiful person," he teased, making me roll my eyes. 

"Do you do this with every customer?" I asked jokingly. 

"Just the good looking ones," he chuckled. I scoffed, turning to take my leave. 

"Goodbye Sonic," I said. 

"Hey wait!" Sonic called after me. I paused and turned to see Sonic leap over the counter and run over to me, quickly scribbling on a piece of paper. He handed it to me, and as I looked at it I saw it was a phone number. "Call me, and maybe we can get together sometime." I smiled, pocketing the number. 

"We'll see," I winked, and left. As I stepped outside with my goods in hand I took a deep breath of fresh air. The good feeling that I had felt this morning had started to return. "Alright (Y/n), let's go home," I hummed to myself. On the way home I saw no creepy cop cars or ghostly beings, just normal people going about their day. I did find it strange though at the lack of the undead, or anything supernatural really minus Silver, whom I had met this morning. This town was very lively, and it almost felt unnatural. 

☠

I shook off the weird feeling growing on the back of my neck as I stepped inside the comforts of my new home, kicking my shoes off into some corner. The house was quiet except for the whirring hum of the fridge, and the occasional branch scraping against the window outside. I felt a bit lonely for a moment, but it soon vanished as I felt the burning sensation of someone staring at me from behind. 

"Silver is that you?" I called out, and slowly the ivory boy materialized into view. 

"Hi (Y/n)," he said softly and rather timidly. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Silver shook his head, quickly dismissing the question. 

"No, no, no, I just... I want to talk to you, but I'm not used to being able to talk to anyone, you know, still alive," he fiddled with his hands as an embarrassed expression came about his face. I laughed softly. 

"It's fine Silver, just talk to me like you would another ghost," I shrugged. Silver glanced around nervously. 

"I don't talk to many ghosts either," he said sheepishly. This got me thinking. 

"There sure doesn't seem to be a lot of ghosts around here or anything else for that matter," I remarked. 

"Else? What do you mean?" Silver asked. 

"Like fae and gnomes and stuff," I elaborate. Silver looked surprised. 

"Fairies exist?" he repeated. I couldn't help but let out a stifled snicker, and Silver seemed to realize why. "Oh, right. I'm a ghost so those things probably exist too." I waved it off, trying to reassure the boy. 

"Yeah, they're real all right, but anyway," I let out a long sigh, rolling the tension from my shoulders. "I'm going to make some lunch, you wanna find something on the TV--er, I mean--"

"Yes! I'll go do that," 

Before I could get another word in Silver floated off towards the living area, and shortly after I heard the emerging noise of the TV fill the house. I sighed again, pulling out some junk food and trudging over to the couch. The curtains were pulled back so the room was dark and I could see more clearly Silver as he sat on the couch. He didn't have his hand on the remote yet it was floating in midair and channels were shifting rapidly, 

I paused a moment, quite shocked. I knew some ghosts could manipulate physical objects but this seemed a bit extreme. 

"How are you doing that?" I asked abruptly, startling the hedgehog. The remote dropped to the floor, clattering and sliding underneath the couch. Silver turned to me in fright but then relaxed. He reached underneath the couch a pulled back out the remote.

"Sorry," he grimaced, trying to fit the batteries back in. "It's a force of habit I guess." I slumped down next to the hedgehog, intrigued. "Ever since I 'came back' I've been able to manipulate things like this," he explained, demonstrating by making the remote float again. "Is this normal?" 

I shrugged, "Most ghosts can manipulate objects in some way, but--" I trailed off. This is weird, I thought. He's dead, but it's like he has superpowers.

"Superpowers?" Silver asked. I gasped, about but to question the hedgehog on how he knew I thought that when suddenly a knock came at the door. "It's an officer," Silver said. I arched an eyebrow at the boy as I quickly stood up and went to the door. As I opened the door, a tall shadow was suddenly cast over me. I looked slightly up to come face to face with a pair of vibrant crimson eyes. 

"Is that your car out front?" the ebony hedgehog asked, annoyance laced in his voice. "The neighbors complained you parked on their side of the street." I shook my head, giving the officer a puzzled look. 

"Their side?" I repeated. "You're kidding right?" The officer gave me an 'I'm-not-fucking-kidding' kind of look, making me groan. "Fine, fine, I'll move it." I went to walk past the hedgehog to get to my car but he did not move. I paused, shrugging at him as if to ask what he was doing. The hedgehog narrowed his eyes at me, scoffed, then stepped out of the way. 

I walked down to my car and moved it into the driveway. Stepping out of the car I was greeted by the officer who somehow was standing right next to me. 

"Jeez did he teleport or something?" I hissed under my breath. The officer sighed, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. 

"What's your name?" he asked. 

"(Y/n) (L/n)," I answered. "What's yours, officer?"

The officer gave me a dirty look, handing me a ticket.

"That's none of your concern. Now, I'm letting you off with a warning, just don't go off causing any more trouble. The people here don't take kindly to newcomers who disturb the peace,"

"I'll keep that in mind," I sneered, snatching the ticket from his hand and quickly going inside, slamming the door behind me. I flipped the bird towards the officer from the cover behind the door and angrily marched back into the living room where Silver still waited. 

"What was that about?" Silver asked. 

"The neighbors complained you parked on their side of the street," I mimicked. "Don't go off causing any more trouble. The people here don't take kindly to newcomers who disturb the peace." I sat down heavily on the couch and started munching away on junk food. "Stupid jerky police officer," I mumbled in between stuffing my face. Silver chuckled nervously. 

"His name is Shadow, he's the C.O.P of the town's police station," Silver explained. 

"More like Chief of Jerks," I muttered. Silver sighed. 

"He's not as mean as he appears, he just has to put up a character so people don't doubt his authority--" 

I rolled my eyes, sinking into the mindless, brain-melting pictures on the TV. Silver looked at me, then sighed as he sank back into the cushions. We both sat in silence watching the screen before eventually I must've drifted off because the next time I opened my eyes it was late at night and Silver was gone. 

☠ 

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and turned off the TV, deciding it would be a good time to jump into a hot shower to wash away the gunk from the day. Waiting for the water to warm I found myself bored beyond belief. To pass the time, I decided to message the cashier boy, just for shits and giggles. 

**Hey, this is (Y/n)** , I said. I quickly received a message back. 

**hey, hey babey~ just couldn't get enough of me, could u?** He replied. 

**Shut up dummy I'm only texting u 'cause I'm bored.**

**ouch. that hurt~ any luck finding a job yet?**

**I didn't go today, I fell asleep after I got back from the store**.

**hope u slept well, princess ;)**

**Don't call me that.**

**is prince more ur type? or did u like babey?**

**Okay, I'm blocking ur number.**

**wait, wait, i was just playing with u (Y/n), please don't block me :(**

**anyways, since u didn't go job hunting today, i could go with u tomorrow.**

**Don't u have work?**

**i get tomorrow off ;) we could get coffee or something too**

**I guess.**

**Really?! Dang, I thought it'd be harder for me to get you to go out with me. Guess not~**

**Don't push ur luck.**

**ok babey~ it's a date then ;) i'll pick u up at 10?**

**Fine, and stop calling me "baby", dork!**

**< 3**

I rolled my eyes and set my phone down, deciding not to further encourage the hedgehog's coquettish behavior. The water by then was the perfect scalding temperature, and I eagerly stepped directly into it. The feeling of warm water rushing down my body soothed me after the long day. I hadn't done much of anything productive yet, but I still felt exhausted. My grandparents had been kind enough to stock me with enough toiletries and cleaning supplies for a while, which I was grateful for. 

Stepping out of the shower I looked like a drowned rat but smelled like coconut and honeydew, so it balanced out. I waited in front of the microwave in my tank top and shorts for my meal to heat up and then sat at the table. I ate in silence, and before long I was tucked underneath the comforts of my sleeping bag. I pulled out my phone and set an alarm and reminder to start unpacking before drifting off in a state of unconsciousness. 

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ ||


	3. 2 || Open Your Eyes

𝕳𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖕𝖊 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖉 𝖍𝖎𝖒 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐

☠

I was suddenly jolted from my dreams by the sound of my raging alarm; what a way to start the day. Rising from my sheets like a zombie I let out a small groan, the sunlight peeking through the window burning my eyes. It was hard to believe that yesterday I had felt so energetic. It felt like all the energy in my body had been sucked from my very soul, leaving me an empty husk. Maybe some breakfast would help. Stumbling downstairs I opened the fridge, the cold air sending tingles through my face. I whined, not finding anything I was interested in. I pulled out the bottle of the drink I bought yesterday, chugging whatever was left in it. I let out a soft sigh as the lid parted from my lips, and that was when I heard someone approach behind me. I turned too quickly, my vision went spotty as a wave of pain washing over my head. Yet another whine escaped my lips as I clutched my forehead in an attempt to steady myself. 

The ivory ghost gasped, tilting his head in concern as he saw me. 

"(Y/n) are you okay!?" Silver asked, his voice slightly quivering. I nodded slowly, sucking in a sharp breath of air. 

"Aye, yep!! Good mornin' Silver--" I winced, smacking my cheeks. Silver's nose scrunched up as he stared at me concerned.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, head cocked to the side slightly as he studied me. I nodded slowly, putting on a reassuring smile. 

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired this morning I guess," I shrugged. Silver floated towards me, wrapping his arms around me in what I assumed to be an attempt as a hug. I shivered, slowly bringing my hand up and mimicking the motion of patting the boy on the head. Silver squeezed tighter, letting go slowly. It took a few moments before he spoke again. 

"I just thought you could maybe use a hug," he squeaked, clutching one of his arms as he fidgeted nervously. I smiled, remarking in my head how cute he looked. 

"Thanks, Silver, I feel better already," I giggled. The flustered boy merely nodded, now refusing to make direct eye contact with me. Stretching my arms in the air I heard my back crack with satisfying pops; I did feel better. "Okay, what time is it?" I pulled out my phone, the bright screen temporarily blinding me. After I blinked a few times my eyes adjusted. 

**9:00 A.M.**

Exactly one hour until that azure boy would arrive. Wait a minute--

"Does he know where I live?!" I said aloud. Silver looked up at me, startled by my sudden outburst. 

"Does who know what? Is something wrong (Y/n)?" he asked. I sighed, running my hand down my cheek. 

"I don't know?" I replied. "I met this boy at the grocery store--" 

"Sonic?" Silver questioned, causing me to stare at the boy in shock. 

"You know him??" Silver suddenly looked panicked.

"I--yeah!! I've seen him around some times at night when I go outside. He likes going to parties and stuff," Silver explained. I hummed, pursing my lips. 

"Have you ever tried to leave town?" I suddenly asked. Silver froze and didn't speak for a moment. 

"Yes," he said quietly as if he were afraid someone would hear. "But I can't leave. Every time I try, something pulls me back." 

"I see," I replied, noting the hedgehog's saddened expression. "I'm sorry I asked, I know it must be hard--"

"No, it's okay!" Silver quickly dismissed. "I'd gladly answer as many of your questions as I can, (Y/n). It's the least I can do for everything you've done for me." I chuckled. 

"I haven't done much yet though," 

Silver shook his head, "You've done a lot more than you know." Suddenly I felt a buzz in my hand, and I realized someone was trying to call me. 

"Hello?" I answered the phone. 

"Hey baby~," the flirtatious voice answered on the other side. "I, um, have a quick question--" 

"Do you need my address?" I asked. Silence came from the other line. 

"Yes please," 

I laughed, "It's 32 Woods Street, 03102. It's the ugly house in desperate need of a new paint job." Sonic chuckled. 

"Alright, cool!!" he said. "And hey, would you mind if my brother tagged along for the ride? He can't drive and he's been bugging me to get out of the house despite having two working legs!!" I heard some muffled shouting in the background. I rolled my eyes. 

"Sure, why not?" I shrugged. 

"Great, I'll see you in a little bit then babydoll~"

"Stop with the nicknames," I whined. 

"Never," Sonic said and hung up. I shook my head, maybe going on this "date" wasn't such a good idea. 

"You're going somewhere?" Silver's voice suddenly rose, his tone sounding jealous. 

"Uh, yeah, just for a little," I said, beginning to head upstairs. "Sonic offered to help me find a job today." 

"Oh," Silver said, following me. "When will you be back?" 

"You know Silver, you're welcome to follow me around if you want. It's not like anyone can see you anyways," I pointed out. Silver opened his mouth to object but then closed it, realizing the truth. 

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked sweetly. A smile spread across my face. 

"Nah not at all, I like your company," I said. Silver smiled brightly, nodding. 

"O-okay then!! I'll try not to bother you too much and stay hidden," 

"Don't worry about it," I said, slipping off my shirt and diving in my bag to find a fresh one. Silver suddenly let out a surprised shriek. 

"You could've said something, I would've stepped out!!" he cried, quickly turning around. I tilted my head, realizing what I did. I slight blush appeared on my cheeks but I just played it off. 

"O-oh sorry, I guess I wasn't thinking," I laughed nervously, quickly changing the rest of my clothes. I mentally faced palmed myself. It was hard to remember that Silver even though he was a ghost he seemed more conscious of everything around him. On the other side of the coin, it was hard to remember he was dead and not just another person. I let out a long sigh. 

☠

  
The rest of the hour went by in silence as I continued to get ready. Silver still followed me around but made sure to keep his distance when he needed to. Once more he wouldn't look directly at me, and when we did catch eyes he would quickly turn away with what looked like a blush on his face. Oh boy was I embarrassed--

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the front door. Quickly shuffling over there I opened it, behind it the man of the hour, Sonic the Hedgehog. Dawning that playful grin I saw him with yesterday, the hedgehog hands me a small bouquet. They were gorgeous; a mixture of small soft pink roses with matching pink and blue wildflowers of sorts. Admittedly it was one of the most pretty gifts I had ever received in quite a long time. I took the flowers timidly, my ears drooping back against my head as my eyebrows furrowed. 

"Why-?" I began. Sonic let out a small chuckle. 

"I thought you might like a welcoming gift to the town, so I decided to get you something almost as beautiful as yourself," he explained. I snorted, shaking my head. 

"You didn't have to," I said, looking at the flowers. His smirk grew softer.

"I wanted to," he replied. Rolling my eyes I motioned him to wait a moment while I quickly went to set the flowers in a vase to take care of later. Sonic crept in, peering around at the rooms close by before stopping in the entrance was to the kitchen. He leaned up against the wall, and I felt his eyes watch me intently. Setting the flowers down on the counter I turned back to him, ready to leave. With a smile, Sonic offered his arm for me and I took it hesitantly. We went outside, into the car, and before long we were off driving. 

Sitting in the back seat was a bright green hedgehog with striking amber, almost gold eyes. Spiky bangs sprung from atop his head and laid in disarray over his face. The hedgehog looked up at me as I sat down, that same grin as Sonic's spread across his face; I could instantly tell they were related.

"So this is the beautiful chica you've not stopped talking about," the hedgehog snickered. 

"Shut up, Manic--" Sonic hissed softly, cheeks turning pink.

"Hey dudette, the name's Manic," the hedgehog introduced, sticking his tongue out at the azure hedgehog. 

"Nice to meet you," I replied with an amused chuckle. "I'm (Y/n)."

"Cool!~" Manic beamed, the same playboy grin as his brother's spread across his face. Boy, are they related, I mused to myself.

"So (Y/n), you're looking for a job today right?" Manic suddenly asked, snapping me from my thoughts. 

"Oh yeah!" I answered. "I just moved here yesterday and I need some way to get some grub." Manic nodded his head. 

"A noble reason. If you don't mind me suggesting, I know a few cool places you could work," he said.

"Oh really?" I hummed. 

"Yeah! There's the creepy antique shop, the graveyard, the butcher shop that everyone is pretty sure the owner kills people and sells them--"

"Oh," I cringed.

"Manic stop pestering (Y/n)!! She's not going to join you and that dumb group of ghost-obsessed nerds," Sonic suddenly piped up. "Besides, (Y/n) already decided to come work with me at the grocer!" He paused. "Right, (Y/n)?" 

"Aye! We can't be dumb and nerds at the same time, doofus," Manic chimed sarcastically back.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty, stop fighting," I growled, a quick moment of silence ensuing after my warning. I sat back triumphantly, crossing my legs together.

"I said I'd think about it, Sonic," I finally answered. Manic let out a teasing 'haha', earning him a hard glare from Sonic. "I'm not too sure what I want to do yet, maybe," I said, pinching the hedgehog's arm. Muttering a couple of insults to his brother underneath his breath, Sonic seemed to drop the topic and focus on the road.

"Stop here!!!" Manic suddenly shouted, lurching forward. The car came to a skidding stop; my seat belt pressing hard into my chest. 

Sonic hissed, his hands clutched tightly on the wheel. He was about to turn around and smack his brother it seemed before the green boy lept out of the door. Manic gave his brother a sheepish smile before quickly skittering off.

"Adiós," Manic winked at me and disappeared. It took a moment until Sonic began to drive, letting out a deep sigh as he rested his forehead on the rim of the steering wheel.

"Sorry about that, you didn't get hurt did you?" he asked. I shook my head, smirking slightly. 

"I'm fine, bro~" I teased. Sonic rolled his eyes, reaching over and smacking my knee. I giggled, pulling my poor knees out of his range of attack. 

"So, what're you feelin' up to? Coffee or job hunting?" Sonic questioned. 

"Hmm, well, I am getting kinda hungry," I tapped my lip. "So, I think I could go for some coffee."

"Nice choice~"

We pulled over, getting out walking to a small cafe called Solz Spice. Stepping inside my senses were greeted with warm and comforting smells of cinnamon and chocolate. Drool began to pool in my mouth as my stomach screamed for food. I looked around in awe, my tail wagging slightly from side to side in anticipation. 

"Are you hungry too?" Sonic asked teasingly. Too hungry to bash back at him I merely nodded. He led me up to the display case, motioning his hand outward to the vast plethora of sweets and savories on display. "Pick anything you want," he said. "This place has the best food and drinks in the world." 

"You know, you and your wallet are going to regret offering that," I hummed.

"Mmm, I think we'll be okay," Sonic sang back. I looked up at the hedgehog. I'd just met the boy yesterday and he was already buying me flowers and sweets.

"You know if you spoil me too much I might not leave you alone?" I said. Sonic chuckled, mischief swimming through his eyes. 

"I wouldn't mind that at all," he, rather suggestively, licked his lips. As I held back from punching Sonic square in the nose, a rabbit suddenly emerged from what I assumed was the kitchen carrying a tray of doughnuts. Her fur was a warm cream with the ends of her eyes and the area surrounding her eyes a dark orange. Her aura radiated the energy of a wholesome mother, energy quite different than the one my own mother had. She gasped when she saw us and quickly set the doughnuts down to come to aid us. 

"Oh my, I'm so sorry for the wait, what can I get you two today?" she asked, her voice sounding as sweet as the treats she was around. I opened my mouth to reply then stopped, seconding guessing myself. Do I want the cake--or the cookies--? But that tart looks good--

"I'll have a mocha with extra whip please," Sonic said, giving me more time to think. The rabbit nodded, scribbling down his order on a slip of paper before her chocolate eyes turned to look towards me. 

"I haven't seen you around here before; welcome to Solz," she smiled. "What can I get for you today, honey?" I felt my cheeks flush.

"Can I have hot cocoa and a piece of that cake please?" I asked politely, pointing to the cake I desired. The rabbit nodded, taking out a piece of said cake and handing it to me. 

"If you ever need anything dear, my name is Vanilla. Don't hesitate to drop by if you need a nice sweet, warm drink or help," she offered. A sudden warmth sprouted in me, one I'd only felt with my father. I nodded, the thought of my father making tears prick the corners of my eyes. 

"I will ma'am, thank you," I replied, and we sat down. 

Sonic seemed to notice my sudden shift, a grabbed my hand gently. 

"Are you okay?" he queried. I nodded, attempting to hide the falling tears.

"Yeah jeez, I'm sorry--I haven't been around such thoughtful people in a while," I chuckled at the harsh truth. Sonic cocked his head to the side, mischief replaced with genuine worry and concern. "Don't look at me like that. I don't have some sob story--I just didn't grow up in a very loving family; my mom was an addict and my dad died when I was young," I shrugged it off, sitting down and quickly shoving a bite of cake in my mouth so I didn't have to speak. The sugary goodness melted on my tongue, easing my emotions. Sonic looked as if he wanted to press further, but decided not. Instead, he sat across from me, leaning back as he rested his hands behind his head. 

"My dad died when I was young too," he spoke, breaking the silence. I swallowed grimly. 

"I'm sorry for your loss," 

My words seemed to make him smile a little. 

"It's alright, he's in I better place now, I hope," he added the last bit quietly. I pushed the cake towards Sonic, offering him some. The hedgehog looked down at me, the cake, then back to me, confused at what my reason was. I motioned towards it again, a silent way of saying have some. Smiling, the hedgehog picked up the fork and took a bite. 

A bell rang, and someone came entering through the door. I turned to see who it was, nearly spit out my hot cocoa. It was Mr. Jerky Police Officer himself. The ebony hedgehog quickly caught sight of me, his crimson eyes targeted solely onto me. I stood my ground, glaring back at him. Sonic noticed me staring intently at something and moved his head to see what it was; let's just say he didn't seem too happy either. 

"Oh no," he huffed, eyes-rolling. "Just look away." He pushed the cake back to me, becoming interested in a certain spot on the wall next to us. I heard a scoff come from the hedgehog, but ignored it and mirrored Sonic's action. However, that didn't last long as a large shadow approached and loomed over of both us. 

"Getting comfy with the locals, (Y/n)?" the deep voice breathed in my ear. I shivered, going to make a snarky comment back but it was Sonic who spoke first. 

"Leave (Y/n) alone; don't you have a job to do, Shadow?" the azure boy snarked. Shadow didn't comment, but thankfully before anything else occurred, Vanilla returned, our drinks in hand. Shadow cleared his throat and let the rabbit by as she set down our drinks. 

"Will that be all for you today?" Vanilla asked softly. I turned and smiled at her, nodding. 

"Yes, thank you," I replied. Vanilla nodded, turning to Shadow, and asking if everything was alright. Shadow brushed it off, turning his heel and going off to order whatever jerks drink. I stuck my tongue out towards him as soon as his back was turned, earning a stifled laugh from Sonic. I turned my nose and picked up my mug of hot cocoa, the warmth seeping through the ceramic and into my hands. A chocolaty comfort slid down my throat as I took a drink, not caring that the liquid was scalding. 

"Gosh damn," I purred in delight. "This has got to be some of the best darn hot cocoa I've ever had!" Sonic chuckled. 

"Like I said, best in the world," he winked. I smiled, wiping a bit of the whipped cream off my face. Swiftly, Sonic reached over the table and brushed his finger over my cheek. I flinched back in surprise, gently swatting his hand away as a reaction. Sonic brought his hand back to him and rubbed it, a hurt expression on his face. "You still had chocolate on your face," he said defensively. 

"You could've just told me, dork," I said, my cheeks growing hot. Sonic smirked, leaning forward playfully. 

"Oh my gosh, are you blushing?!~" he sang. I kicked his shin, causing the hedgehog to yelp in pain, and hit his elbow on the table. He groaned, falling over into the seat beside him as he clutched now both his shin and elbow. I felt slightly and for the elbow, but not for his leg. 

"You deserved that," I stated, crossing my arms. 

Sonic wheezed, "Yeah, I know." 

☠

The police station was a lot bigger than I had expected or remembered especially for this small town. Many people bustled by Sonic and me as we walked from the parking lot to the front office. 

"Jeez, this place is buzzing more than I expected," I noted aloud. Sonic nodded, scratching his cheek. 

"Yeah, a few years ago the small city next to us asked our mayor if we could kinda conjoin police forces, so they built a bigger building and--" Sonic trailed off, seeming uninterested in continuing the history.

"I guess this place has changed since I've last been here," I hummed to myself. Sonic's eyes drifted to me. 

"When was the last time you were here, you know, before now?" he questioned. I bit my lip as I thought back, the memories racing through my head like a slideshow.

It was my tenth birthday-- My grandparents invited me and my mother over to have dinner in celebration of my birthday. Like normal, my mom was heavily drunk before we even arrived, and in a very sour mood. My grandparents tried their best to keep me away and distracted but eventually, we had to leave. That year my grandmother had given me a teddy bear and never once did my grip loosen from it as we got into the car. Dark; it was so dark that night. No moon, no stars, nothing but an endless black abyss. I saw it before it happened, a brief silhouette of a person standing in the road. That was the only time I think my mother had ever seen something I had too. We both screamed, our car jolting to the side as my mother yanked the wheel to avoid the apparition. Time slowed down just long enough for me to see the glass shatter and float around us like tiny snowflakes. It was beautifully terrifying. I remember feeling a strange warmth rush down my head and right leg. I think my mother was screaming and crying out for me, but I never quite heard what she said. Hovering outside the window was the apparition once more. It was a little girl, no older than six or seven. She had beautiful brown fur and pink eyes. I saw dark markings that stained her face and dress, and small shards of glass were stuck in her hair. A sudden wave of pain and anguish rushed through me, overpowering my own. Carefully I pulled out the bear I'd held onto so tightly until now and handed it to the girl. With hesitant, trembling hands she took it, burying her face into its soft stomach as tears rolled down her face.

"Thank you," she said as softly as a sweet dream before fading into nothingness. She was the first ghost I had ever helped.

"(Y/n) look out!!"

Suddenly I heard the shrieking sound of brakes come towards me. I turned to the side on instinct only to be blinded by a pair of headlights. Someone screamed for me again but I couldn't make out who it was. I was about to embrace the world of pain I was about to be in but it never came.

"Open your eyes idiot,"

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noooo! You can't make Sonic and Reader love each other! This is a Shadow x Reader Fanfic!
> 
> Haha! Sonic and Reader go on dates 👉👈
> 
> Sorry I can't help myself but ship you with nearly every single character I write about--hehe; but don't worry, more time with Shadow is coming soon~~Anyways, lots of introductions in this one, including someone who I haven't used before, Manic!! I felt like he deserved some love so I decided to include him in here too; though he's not very important now he may be later but you didn't hear that from me-- 
> 
> and to whoever reads this far, here's a cookie as a reward (🍪)


	4. 3 || Laughing in the Face of Death

⚠ ᴇxᴄᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴜʀꜱɪɴɢ ⚠

𝕬 𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖕'𝖘 𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌

☠

The world around me was completely white. My body felt like led and a hot, tingly feeling spread underneath my skin like wildfire. There was a brief moment where I thought I might be dead, but then a voice spoke, pulling me from the void. 

"Open your eyes idiot,"

I let out an agitated groan, swatting the bright flashlight out of my eyes, sitting up. I took in a deep breath, a wave of nausea washing over me. I almost fell back again, but a surprisingly warm and comforting hand prevented me from doing so.

"Don't pass out again, you're fine," the voice spoke again, tone oozing annoyance. I looked over, meeting the bright crimson eyes of my savior.

"Shadow?" I finally found my voice again. Shadow rolled his eyes, turning off his flashlight and yanking me up as if I weighed nothing. He patted me harshly on the back, any former glimpse of empathy vanishing from the surface. 

"Next time, don't stop in the middle of the road," he smacked the back of my head, making me lurch forward. I growled quietly, opening my mouth to snap at him but then I stopped. I rubbed the backside of my head, swallowing my pride.

"Thank you," I said. The hedgehog stopped, his ears twitching back slightly. He didn't reply, but I swore for a brief moment I saw a smidge of a smile on his face. Once Shadow had left, Sonic came rushing over, talking frantically at me.

"Are you okay? Did you get hit? What did Shadow say? Did he hurt you? I swear if that son of a--"

I placed my finger gently over the azure boy's lips, silencing him. Sonic stared at me silently, his eyes still asking questions. I shook my head, small giggles rippling from my chest, which grew louder, and soon I was full-on having a laughing fit in the middle of a police parking lot. Sonic grabbed my hand carefully, a bit startled by my sudden outburst. 

"Why are you laughing?" Sonic asked, tilting his head. I sighed, wiping a few stray tears from my eyes. 

"I really don't know honestly," I answered. "But I'm fine Sonic, you can stop worrying now." Sonic narrowed his eyes at me, still suspicious.

"Are you sure you still want to go job hunting today? We could always come back--" 

"We're already here dork, let's go," I grabbed Sonic's hand, dragging him with me before he had a chance to protest. A heavy scent of cigarette smoke and sharpie coated the air. The was a soft murmur of voices as the people inside went about their work. No one really seemed to pay us much mind, that was until a shrill voice came from behind us.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" I was abruptly bombarded by pink quills and the smell of roses. I stumbled back, nearly tripping as the stranger poked and prodded me. "I didn't mean to almost hit you, I didn't even see you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry--!"

"Officer Rose!" a loud, gruff voice barked over all the noise. All went dead silent, not even the flies on the walls dared to move. A man stepped forward, clad in a green uniform embellished with many medals. His icy dead eyes stared down at us, judging. The pink hedgehog, Rose I think he had called her, slowly climbed off me, practically trembling. "Now Officer Rose I want you to tell me why you and that high-fucking-pitched-ass voice is being so loud?!" the man glared. Rose opened her mouth to speak but was struggling to create coherent sentences.

"I-i was apologizing sir! I nearly hit this young lady and I just--" The man raised his hand, and in a split second Sonic jumped in front of the both of us, standing in the way. Without thinking I shoved both of the hedgehogs behind me protectively. 

"Don't you dare hit her!!" I growled. Shock spread across the man's face, and I heard small surprised gasps come from the two hedgehogs behind me. It was eerily silent for a moment, everything still. The man slowly lowered his hand, a noise erupted from his chest that sounded like a choke but then I realized, he was laughing? Indeed, the man who just moments before had looked like he was about to bloody murder someone was now keeled over laughing as if I had just told him the funniest shit he's even seen in his life. Everyone nearby stared at us, their faces all matching with the same expression of confusion and terror. The man settled down, holding his chest trying to catch his breath.

"Well I'll be damned, I ain't never seen such a fucking angry war face before. Little missy, you looked like you were about to rip my jugular out," he grinned. I gave the man a confused look, hesitantly lowering my defense. "Now, no need to be uppity, I wasn't actually gonna hit the bitch; we joke like that around here all the time, right Rose?" he chuckled. Rose nodded quickly, still shielded behind me. It took me every ounce of my strength to keep myself from caving the assholes' face in, and thankfully another voice stepped in too.

"Lieutenant Rex, you're not harassing my officers and dear guests, now are you?" 

I looked over to see a large white wolf standing up to the human. Though their heights were quite different the wolf seemed to have a higher ranking for sure, if not he at least held himself to one. The very air around him bowed in its respect. 

"Of course not, good ol' Afon. We were just having some fun~ But I better get to gettin', see you around," Lieutenant Rex bowed his head at the wolf and turned towards me for a brief moment, winking before quickly took his leave. I shuddered, quite disgusted but relieved he was finally gone. A breath was released from everyone that they all seemed to be holding. Slowly they all turned back to work and that soft murmur of voices returned. Afon approached us, his aged amber eyes looking worn.

"I'm sorry you all had to experience that. Unfortunately, the city's military likes to send over its assholes to harass us sometimes. Are you alright Officer Rose?"

Rose stepped out from behind me, nodding, "Yes sir, all thanks to, um--"

"(Y/n)," I said.

"I'm Amy Rose, er I mean, Officer Rose, at your service!" the girl saluted, smiling sheepishly. I chuckled softly, saluting her back.

"So (Y/n), and Mister Sonic, what can I do for you today?" Afon asked. 

"Well you see sir, (Y/n) here is new in town, and she's looking for a job," Sonic explained, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. 

"Ah, I see," Afon smiled. "Well, I think I know just the person who can help you with that...Officer Rose?"

"Consider it done sir," Rose nodded confidently. She ushered us to follow her, so we did, Afon waving goodbye as we left. Rose led us to a small office space filled with computers. She sat down at one, Sonic and I crowding around her. "Okay, jobs, jobs--" she muttered, her nails clicking loudly on the rather old-school keyboard. "What kind of schooling do you have (Y/n)?"

"Oh, well I've graduated high school and already have a bachelor's in (fld/n)¹ and I'm working on a master's," I said. Sonic whistled, causing Rose to crack a small smile.

"Nerd," Sonic nudged me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he flipped me off. I was about to give him a quick what for, but Rose spoke up again.

"Alright, I have a list of available jobs that fit with what you have, but is there any specific job you were looking for?" she asked. I thought for a moment, what job did I want? Truth be told this would be my first real job. I had never really worked full-time at a place before. My school was paid for by scholarships and if I needed money my mom would give me it. "How about I give you a few to look at, and you can always call down here and I can give you some more," Rose offered after hearing my silence.

"Yeah, that sounds good, thank you, Officer Rose," I nodded.

"Please, just call me Amy,"

||ᴍᴇᴀɴᴡʜɪʟᴇ...

Afon returned to his office after sending the two guests away with Officer Rose. He pressed the bridge of his nose, trying to rid the headache he had received after the encounter with that Lieutenant. It seemed every day there was a new man sent in by the military harassing his people. Afon was beyond pissed, but he kept his anger to himself. He needed to stay calm, collected, now more so than ever. His mind drifted back to the new resident, (Y/n) he recalled their name. They seemed strange to say the least but she seemed like a nice young citizen.

"Afon, have you gotten rid of that military scum yet?" the annoying voice of his C.O.P piped up from behind him as he entered the office.

"Yes sir, I don't believe he'll be coming back anytime soon," Afon answered swiftly.

"Good," Shadow scoffed, letting out an aggravated sigh. Afon nodded, understanding the frustration the younger chief was having. Trying to ease the tension, Afon decided to strike up some small talk.

"Have you met the new resident yet, sir? They seem to be nice," Afon shrugged, cursing himself for his lack of communication skills. Shadow snorted. 

"Annoying is the word I believe you are looking for, Deputy,"

Afon smiled, "Ah, so you have met them already." 

Shadow rolled his eyes, a small beeping noise coming from his watch.

"I've got to go to another meeting, take care of things will I'm gone," he announced, disregarding the wolf's previous statement.

"Yes sir!" Afon saluted.

Shadow left, leaving Afon to meddle in his own thoughts once more. As he left, Shadow caught a brief glimpse of (h/c) hair in one of the offices, but he left too quickly to see exactly who it was. Shadow groaned, this was going to be a long day.

☠

Tranquility. That is what I felt as Sonic and I stepped outside. I was finally on my own way in life, and the troubles of the past were slowly slipping farther and farther away. I looked up to the big, bright, beautiful sky, smiling. That feeling of invincibility had returned. Sonic stretched out his arms, a loud yawn escaping him. His emerald eyes drifted over to me, twinkling with mischief. I arched my eyebrow. 

"What's with that devilish look, dork?" I asked. 

"Oh nothing, nothing," he smirked. 

"Spill it, pretty boy, what are you scheming?" 

Sonic chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm not scheming anything, honest!! I was just thinking...wait did you just call me pretty?" My face lit up redder than a tomato. I silently cursed myself and began speed walking to the car.

"Nopeyour'rehearingthings," I quickly uttered. Sonic sprinted after me, easily catching up before I was able to get the door open. He slammed his arms down on either side of me, like the dudes in those romantic high school animes I defiantly don't watch...

"So you do like me~" Sonic teased, getting dangerously close. I lodged my elbow into his stomach, making him stumble back. We both stayed silent for a moment, the only noise was my heavy panting. Sonic reached his hand out to touch me but retreated. 

"I'm sorry," we both said in unison. We stared at each other then began to laugh. 

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, I stepped into your bubble and I shouldn't have," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry for elbowing you, it was uncalled for too. I know you were just playing," I scratched my cheek. Sonic held out his hand. 

"Still buddies?" 

"Of course you dork," I shook his hand. Sonic grinned, chuckling softly, and opened the car door allowing me to slip in. I let out a long sigh as the engine began to hum, and the police station got smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Sonic reached over and turned on the radio, playing some 80's music. 

"You can change it if you want," Sonic shrugged, leaning his head back in his seat. I shook my head, tapping my fingers against my thigh as I became lost in the rhythm. It was a comforting cloak of silence that laid over us, the kind of silence I'd never quite experienced much in my life. It was the kind of silence that would follow you and your best friend after a long day of shenanigans. I smiled a bit, musing to myself. "I wanted to thank you by the way," Sonic suddenly spoke up. 

"Hm? What for?" I questioned. 

"For standing up to that military asshole. Those guys come and terrorize the town quite often, and people have begun to just accept it as the norm, but it's not okay," Sonic sighed, sliding his hand down his face. "Ever since that incident six years ago..."

I swallowed a lump in my throat, "I've been gone longer than that...what happened?"

Sonic sucked in a sharp breath of air, "Well I don't like to talk about it much because I was there, but you deserve to know. There's an old story about a monster that lives by the lake in those woods behind your house, actually. No one knows exactly what it is because anyone that sees it doesn't live to tell the tale. A group of my friends and I went down to that lake late one night, naive enough to think that we would be alright... only three of us made it back that night."

An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach, a name briefly flashing through my mind. 

"Silver..." I muttered aloud. 

"Y-yeah, he was one of the kids that got..." Sonic shuddered, "How'd you know his name?"

"O-oh, I was j-just muttering aloud, I-i didn't know," I chuckled nervously, my panic rising. Sonic seemed to think nothing of it, going back to his story. 

"And now, that lake is completely barricaded off by the military, and apparently there's some secret laboratory back there that caught the monster and they are holding it captive? I honestly don't care anymore," Sonic shook his head. I placed my hand gently on his shoulder, squeezing it. Sonic looked over towards me, smiling sadly. "A-anyways," he quickly wiped his eyes. "Enough sad talk, today's supposed to be a happy day." 

I smiled, "Say, why don't you take me to some of your favorite places? Like a little mini-tour to get me familiar with the town again?"

Sonic grinned, "Really?!" I nodded, and before I knew it I was pinned back to my seat as Sonic hit the full-throttle, sending us flying down the street.

"Just don't get us arrested you, dork!!"

As Sonic dragged me around all day, I was able to somewhat familiarize myself with the town again. So much had changed, yet there was still quite a bit of stuff I remembered. The elementary school still looked like a prison, the donut shop in the main plaza was still there surprisingly, along with lots of other little things. We stopped at many different newer food joints, and I began to realize that Sonic was quite the popular guy. I had sensed he was before a bit, but I didn't realize just how popular of a guy he was, in a good way. Every person he would interact with would always leave with a smile.

"Why are you staring at me so much?" Sonic asked me. I shook my head, snapping from my trance.

"Sorry, just thinking," I smiled, taking a bite of my chili dog. I hummed in delight, "Holy shit this is good!!"

Sonic laughed, "Yeah, the food here is the best in the world."

I chuckled, "I thought you said Solz Spice had the best food in the world?"

"Well, all the food in Solz is the best in the world!" he quickly corrected, stuffing his face with his fourth chili dog. I shook my head, finishing off my own.

"Whatever you say, dork," I hummed. When we finally left, I looked up at the sky to see a rainbow of orange, pink, and purple hues. The day had gone by so quickly it almost felt like it had never happened. 

"Aww man, it's getting late already?" Sonic whined, ears drooping back. He tapped his foot, grabbing my hand. "I want to take you one last place before you head home, is that okay?"

"You're acting as if I have a bedtime, Sonic, we're adults ya'know," I teased. 

"I know, I know!" Sonic chuckled. "I just want you to get enough sleep tonight. I don't want my princess being tried in the morning~"

I glared, "Don't call me that, or I swear--"

Sonic stuck his tongue out, suddenly hoisting me up. Before I could even get a protest in he started running, forcing me to just hold on for the ride. When he finally stopped and set me down, I pinched his arm. 

"What the hell?! You could've warned me before you did that!" I hissed. Sonic rubbed the spot where I pinched him, stepping back. 

"We wouldn't have made it in time if we drove, just look," Sonic gently nudged my head towards behind us. My breath caught in my throat at the sight. We were on a cliff overlooking a vast sea of trees that seemed to stretch out endlessly. The great golden sun nestled behind the trees, slowly setting against the orange and pink canvas of the sky. Its rays casting down on treetops, making everything seem like it was made of the purest gold.

"It's beautiful," I muttered softly. Sonic leaned up against me, resting his head on mine. I peeked up at the dork, arching an eyebrow. 

"Sorry," he smiled. "I just...it's been so long since I've had someone to hang out with. I don't have as many friends as I used to as a kid--" He paused as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm not really one for much touching, but you looked like you could use a hug," I smiled, slowly letting go of him. Sonic smiled back, a small blush creeping up his cheeks. 

"Thanks (Y/n)," 

☠

Walking up to my front door I waved goodbye to the azure hedgehog one last time. He grinned, signally me to call him later, before he drove off into the distance. I shook my head, locking the door behind me with a sigh. 

"What a day--" I yawned, stretching out my arms. I walked into the kitchen, pulling out a drink and taking a few swigs before heading to the living room. The TV was on and nestled comfortably on the couch was a silver hedgehog, oblivious to the fact I had come home. "Hey, my power bill is going to be high if you keep playing that." Silver shot up quicker than a bullet, disappearing for a moment. 

"Oh, (Y/n)!! I-i'm sorry!!" The TV suddenly turned off. 

"Hey. hey, it's okay, I was just teasing Silv," I sat down next to him. "I didn't know you stayed home all day."

"I didn't," Silver replied. "But I got tired of the sun after a while and came back here to rest."

"Ah, I see," I hummed. "I'm sorry, you could've said something; I would've ducked into a darker place for you." Silver shook his head. 

"I didn't want to ruin your, uh, date, so I just came home, I mean back to your home," he stuttered, nervously fidgeting. Silence ensued for a moment before I finally spoke up again.

"Silver, did you hear Sonic's story when we were in the car?" I asked.

"Um, I don't think I was there," Silver sat up a bit straighter, curious. 

"He told me a story that happened six ago, about him and his friends going down to that lake nearby, and a monster attacking them," I elaborated. 

"I'm not a monster," he said softly. 

"Say that again?" I asked, my heartbeat quickening slightly. Silver stayed silent, wavering in and out of existence. He looked up at me, confused.

"What?" he tilted his head. 

"You just said something, what was it?" I repeated. 

Silver furrowed his eyebrows, "I didn't say anything--"

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, thinking. Maybe it was a different Silver that Sonic was friends with--?

"How old were you when you died?" I asked him. Silver sat back, closing his eyes. 

"I think I was... sixteen? Seventeen? That's about all I can remember," he sighed, looking down to the floor Sonic said the incident happened six years ago...I wonder how old they were at the time? I pondered.

"Alright, my brain hurts, I'm going to sleep," I slowly rose off the cushions. "Goodnight Silver." The hedgehog didn't answer me for a moment as he continued staring at the floor.

"Goodnight," he said. I started to leave but stopped turning back for a moment. However, Silver was already gone. I rubbed the back of my neck, retiring to the comforts of my sleeping bag. 

"I need to get this house cleaned tomorrow--" I muttered to myself, quickly falling asleep.

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 

ᴋᴇʏ:  
¹ ꜰɪᴇʟᴅ ɴᴀᴍᴇ, ᴀᴋᴀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ


	5. 4 || The Fence in the Woods

𝕽𝖚𝖓 𝖗𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖎𝖙, 𝖗𝖚𝖓 𝖗𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖎𝖙, 𝖗𝖚𝖓, 𝖗𝖚𝖓, 𝖗𝖚𝖓

☠

"'Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn't need!!!" I sang as the music blasted through my headphones as I danced around the hallway, pushing the mop haphazardly across the wood floor. I'd been cleaning all morning, I'd gotten the upstairs done and was nearly finished with the floor I was on. Setting the mop to the side I danced over to the living room, picking up a few boxes and waltzing them to my room. "If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy, if our love's insanity why are you my clarity!!~"

I set the box down, wiping my forehead. My room started looking roomier as I set everything up. I stepped back, inspecting my work with my hands placed on my hips. My eyes drifted out the large circular window across from me. Gazing out my eyes traced the length of the yard to the tree line. It wasn't that dark out, but still, it was difficult to see anything past the first few lines of trees. I shiver ran down my spine. I turned off my music, tossing my headphones on my bed as I went downstairs. 

"Silver?" I called out, "Are you here?" Silence ensued, making me sigh. Since our talk last night, I hadn't seen even a glimpse of the ghost boy. A thought ate away at me that I had said something last night that hurt him, which would explain his no-show. However, I didn't allow myself to think so negatively. He's probably just doing ghost stuff, I kept telling myself, hoping it was true. I buzz from within my pocket startled me. 

**hey babey, are u tired? cause u've been running through my head all night~**

**Sonic for the love of everything holy, please never use that again--**

**dang, that bad?**

**oh, oh, i know**

**i thought happiness started with an h. why does mine start with u?**

**I think u have dyslexia...**

**ouch :(**

**ok, for reals though, how'd u sleep?**

**Fine u dork.**

**Did u really just text me to use those dumb pickup lines?**

**they're not dumb >:( **

**and yeah, pretty much.**

**What am I going to do with u?**

I rolled my eyes, shoving my phone back down in my pocket as I opened the fridge. I let out a soft sigh, shutting it. I needed to pick a job soon. Trudging back to my room I pulled out the sheet of available jobs and their numbers that Amy had given me. None of them were too spectacular, but a job was a job and I didn't have much room to be picky. I could always go into the city to find work, but the commute would be long and I didn't feel like sitting in hours of traffic just to get to some boring desk job. Browsing the names I circled a few, including the one for the grocer. I smiled slightly, Sonic may get his wish after all.

Setting the paper back down on my desk and laid back down in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The wind rustled gently outside, causing the trees' branches to gently tap against the window. However, as the wind died down the tapping continued. Furrowing my eyebrows I lifted my head to see what was making the noise. To my surprise the source of the tapping was not coming from the outside, but inside. A small figure sat faced away from me, tapping at the window. Small giggles escaped for it as it continued tapping, ignorant to the fact I was approaching. I carefully picked up a glass jar, rising it just above the creature that slamming it down.

"AHA! I caught you pixie!" I grinned. The pixie looked up at me, its face was stricken with pure terror. It banged frantically against the jar to no avail. Eventually, it gave up, curling up in a ball. I frowned slightly, a pang of guilt running through me. "Look, I'm sorry-- I'll let you out but you have to promise not to cause any more trouble. The pixie peeked up, nodding frantically. Sighing I lifted the jar, freeing the small creature. I opened up the window just enough for it to slip out. "Go on now," I ushered, but it did not move; it merely kept staring at me, tilting its head from side to side. I stared back at it, confused as to why it had yet to leave. I had caught many pixies before and usually, they took even the smallest chance they had to run away yet here this one was, free to leave but it didn't take the chance. 

"You can see me?" it finally asked. I shook my head in surprise.

"Um, yeah?" I replied. "Why aren't you leaving?" The pixie didn't answer, stepping closer. 

"I've never been caught before, let alone seen at all, how do you do it?" it questioned narrowing its eyes.

"Look, I don't know how it works, I've had it since I was born, but why are you--" Before I could finish my sentence the pixie grabbed my job list and threw itself out the window. I shrieked, trying to grab the paper but it leaped too far out of my grasp before I was able. Bolting downstairs I ran out the backdoor and after the tiny creature. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!!" I hissed, trying to catch up. The pixie giggled, speeding up as it carried the paper above it. It zigzagged in front of me, making it hard to pinpoint a chance to catch it. Suddenly I hit face-first into a metal fence, bouncing backward and landing on the soft earth. I groaned, clutching my wrist which had taken in most of the impact. The pixie, who had slipped past the fence, stopped for a moment and looked back, taunting me. I narrowed my eyes, brushing myself off. Ain't no stupid fence gonna stop me from strangling that brat.

Thankfully I made it over the fence without embarrassing myself too much. The pixie giggled, starting to run off again. I let out an exasperated sigh, pursuing. I couldn't run for much longer though, and eventually, I found myself collapsed underneath a tree trying to catch my breath. A shrill call of a crow startled me as it flew by. It was at this moment I was finally aware of my surroundings. To my right down an overgrown path, I saw the still shore of a lake. My whole body instantly froze. 

_"And now, that lake is completely barricaded off by the military, and apparently there's some secret laboratory back there that caught the monster and they are holding it captive?" Sonic's words ran through my mind._ I had just jumped that fence...

The sudden sound of a twig snapping jolted me from the thoughts. I stood up, grabbing the nearest stick I could find and clutching it tightly. If I was going to die today, it wouldn't be without a fight. 

"Come out and face me, coward," I growled, readying my stick to slam whatever was approaching me. Something hopped out from the bushes, nearly making me scream. Small black eyes looked up at me as its nose twitched in the air; it was a rabbit. I laughed shakily, lowering my stick. But just as soon as I set my stick down the rabbit took off, startled by something behind me. A hot breath ran down my neck, and on instinct I screamed, swinging the stick as hard as I could. I felt the stick hit something and started running. I heard a voice hiss after me but I didn't catch what it said. Running until I made it back to the fence, I climbed over, feeling the wire catch and tear my clothing; but I was too scared to care. I ran until I emerged out of the woods, far from my backyard I assumed. I took a moment to rest, sitting down heavily on the sidewalk. Placing my head on my knees, I closed my eyes and focused on steadying my breath. 

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

"What are you doing out here?" 

Looking up in fear I caught sight of a familiar face.

"Oh, it's just you edgelord, thank god," I wheezed. Shadow gave me a puzzled expression.

"Edge--whatever, I asked you a question," he huffed, crossing his arms. I chuckled meekly, running my hand through my hair.

"What? Can't a person go for a jog around town?" I lied, praying he would take it. Shadow didn't seem to bite the bait however and pressed further.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out. I looked down at myself, and sure enough, he was right. Cuts on my arms and against my sides were exposed by my sliced shirt. Damn, I thought, that fence got me good. "Well?" Shadow asked, looking oh so enthusiastic.

"I tripped--and fell into a thorn bush, okay?" I cringed. Shadow sighed, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose, mumbling.

"Come on," he hoisted me up, dragging me back to his car, telling me to stay. He opened his trunk and pulled out a medkit then without so much as I warning, he grabbed my arm and started dressing the cuts. I hissed, trying to pull away from him.

"Dude!! That stings," I winced. Shadow's grip loosened slightly from my arm.

"Hold still, and it'll be done quicker," he said. I rolled my eyes, letting him continue. "Now lift your shirt," he ordered after he had finished with my arms. 

"Hell no..." I responded, my cheeks growing hot. Shadow sighed, stepping back.

"Then when those cuts get infected don't come crying to me," he shrugged. I bit my tongue, clenching my fists together.

"Okay, okay, fine--" I sighed, blushing lightly as I lifted my shirt up. Without another word, Shadow bent down and cleaned my wounds swiftly. Normally I wouldn't care how much of me people would see, but something about his gaze on me made me feel all warm and tingly. Bad (Y/n)! Get your head out of the gutter! I cursed at myself. 

"Done," Shadow stated, cleaning up the rest of the medkit. I let my shirt fall back down over me, releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding. 

"Thanks," I muttered softly, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. Shadow nodded his head, leaning against his car.

"Now are you going to tell me why you went across that fence, or do I have to take you in for interrogation?" he smirked. I froze, my jaw-dropping.

"Wait--how'd you know?!" I choked. Shadow approached me slowly, like a predator stalking his prey.

"I'm a cop, in case that small brain of yours has forgotten. I can tell when people are lying to me," he slipped his finger underneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him, "And you, darling, are very bad at lying." I blushed brightly.

"Darling..?"

Shadow let go of me, stepping back as he seemed to realize what he just said. He turned around, grumbling string after string of curses. Turning back to me he opened the back passenger door.

"Just get in," he ordered, hiding his face. I arched an eyebrow, slipping into the back seat. I watched the hedgehog as he went back around to the driver's seat, his mouth still spewing curses. When he got in finally he was silent, but the air still was tense. I twirled my thumbs as the gentle vibrations of the engine soothed my aching muscles.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I whispered, pressing my forehead up against the cold window.

"Hm?" Shadow peeked at me through the rearview mirror. 

"My reason for being out there, you wouldn't believe me," I repeated, exhaling.

"Try me," he replied. I patted my thigh, contemplating my options. _One way or another he's going to get the answer from me, so what did I have to lose?_

"I caught a pixie in my room and let it go but it stole something of mine so I chased it into the woods and it went over the fence, so I went after it, got lost by the lake, I was nearly attacked by the monster--"

"You saw it?!" Shadow suddenly snapped. I looked at the hedgehog confused, quickly shaking my head.

"N-no..? It was behind me, I swung a stick at it and ran," I answered. Shadow's face relaxed as he let out a relieved sigh, murmuring a quick 'thank god'. I sat back, one question running through my mind.

"You were there that day the accident happened at the lake, weren't you?"

Shadow didn't respond, but I saw him flinch a little, and that was a good enough answer for me. The rest of the ride was silent and before I knew it, I was back home. Shadow let me out of the car and walked me to the door. His eyes were downcast as we walked as he appeared to be deep in thought. 

"Promise me you won't go anywhere near there again," he spoke up finally, grabbing onto my hand. I took a deep breath, meeting his eye.

"I promise," 

☠

I knew that promise was I lie, and I knew Shadow did as well. Yet he seemed to accept it, for the moment and went back about his day. I slid down onto the couch, my legs too shaky to keep myself up. Bit by bit my eyes grew heavier, soon too heavy to even keep open and I passed out on the couch.

When I woke again it was already evening. Bright orange rays seeped through the window, tinting the room with its color. I sat up, my neck cracking painfully as I straightened my spine. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes I realized I was in my room. Not remembering falling asleep here I looked around me, only to find no one present. 

"Did Silver move me?" I asked myself, not thinking of anyone else that could've done it. Suddenly I heard something clatter downstairs and dashed down to see what the commotion was about. 

"Oh come on, (Y/n) makes this look so easy!" I heard a voice whining. Peeking from behind the wall I saw Silver huddled over the stove, trying to control a kettle of over-boiled water. He ran his hands through his quills, floating up and searching through the cupboards. I walked over and turned the stove off before the water could boil over again. Silver yelped, crashing back, well through, a cupboard behind him. I couldn't help but stifle out a few snickers. 

"Need some help there, buddy?" I hummed, opening up the cupboard to reveal the hedgehog squished behind a bunch of cans. He looked down at his knees, trying to nod but his head phased through the shelf above.

"Yes please," he sulked. I helped him out of the cupboard, though he didn't really need it, and stepped back.

"First off, you had the stove on way too high," I said, placing the kettle filled with fresh water back onto the stove. Silver watched intently as I taught him how to properly boil water. "What were you trying to make anyway?" I asked as we waited. 

"Tea," he answered, "For you. You seemed rather unwell as you were sleeping, so I thought you might like something warm to heal you better." I smiled, placing a hand over my heart. This boy is too precious for his own good, I thought. Trying not to break down in tears I showed him how to make a simple cup of tea. "Okay, now go in the living room," he said, smiling eagerly. I arched an eyebrow slowly making my way to the living room. A few minutes later a cup of tea came floating in. I caught the cup, the warmth from the ceramic seeping into my hands. I took a careful sip, euphoria washing over me. 

"Silver this is perfect," I purred as the boy emerged from the wall. Silver pumped his fists quietly in the air, grinning. "And hey, that power of yours seems to be getting stronger, have you been practicing?" 

Timidly he nodded, "Yeah that's why I haven't been around all day, sorry." I shook my head. 

"It's fine Silv; maybe this power of yours will be the key to helping us find your purpose," I pointed out. Silver froze, his eyes shimmering with hope. 

"Maybe your right!" he squealed. I giggled softly, shaking my head. Undead or not he was still such a kid...I felt so bad for him. Taking another swig of tea I tried to drown the negative thoughts from my head, but they had already taken root. "Are you okay, (Y/n)?"

I shattered like a glass bottle. I told Silver everything that had happened today through waves of tears. He seemed frazzled at first but soon wrapped in a cold embrace as he tried to comfort me. 

"I told you not to go there," he said quietly. 

"I know, I know," I sobbed. "I wasn't thinking..." Silver patted my head softly, sending a chill down my spine. My sobs slowly morphed into sniffles, and I was able to regain some composer of which I once had. I apologized, wiping my face. Silver smiled gently, shaking his head. 

"It's okay (Y/n), you're safe now," he reassured. A part of me so desperately wanted to believe him, but deep down I knew trouble was coming straight for me.

The next few days went by like a blur as I spent most of the time cooped up inside. But my rations had run out, and I was low on money. I walked to the store, the cool air rejuvenating my skin. It was cloudy today, rain threatening to fall down at any moment. I walked into the grocer, head low. 

"(Y/n)!" I heard a voice call out for me. I sighed as I felt a presence rush up behind me. 

"Hey, you haven't been answering my texts, is everything okay?" Sonic asked, trying to look at my face. I nodded slowly, pulling my hood further over my head. 

"Yeah, sorry. I've been busy the past few days," I lied. Sonic nodded frowned, gently grasping my arm. 

"We can go somewhere more private if you want to talk," he whispered in my ear. I nodded slowly, mutely following him as we left the store and ducked into the back alleyway. He pulled out a few mints from his pocket, offering me one. I took it gingerly, the sugary goodness soothing me slightly. "So, what's up?" Sonic asked softly, leaning against the wall. I slid my hand through my hair, explaining everything that happened slowly. 

"And now I'm afraid that's something's going to happen to me," I confessed. "I haven't slept well in days." Moving towards me Sonic wrapped me in an embrace, cradling the back of my head. 

"I know you're not one for touch that much, but it looked like you could use a hug," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes, leaning into him. 

"You're a dork," I muttered into his shoulder. He winked, sticking out his tongue. 

"Yep, that's me, Sonic the Dork," 

We stayed out there, just catching up on random things for a few more minutes before Sonic was called back in. 

"Come by around six, 'kay? That's when my shift ends and we can hang out!" he waved as he ran inside. 

"Oh wait!" I called out, causing the hedgehog to halt in his tracks. "Can you give me the number to get an interview again, I lost my paper!" Sonic's eyes lit up like stars as he ran back towards me, scribbling on a notepad. 

"I'll put in a good word for you!! Oh, this is gonna be so great! We can stock shelves together, and bag items, and I'm going to stop now because the more I talk the less romantic it's sounding," he trailed off. I shook my head, taking the piece of paper from him. 

"I haven't even gotten the job yet dork, hold your horses," I chuckled. Sonic grinned, leaning over and pecking my cheek quickly. 

"This is the best day ever!!!" he cheered as he ran back inside, earning the glares of many people passing him by. I smiled, letting out a small sigh. I looked down at the number in my hand before placing it in my pocket. Well, here goes nothing. 

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 


	6. 5 || Ghost Busters

𝕴𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊'𝖘 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊, 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖉, 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖑?

☠

_An ear-piercing shriek rang throughout the trees, deafening even the sound of my own heartbeat. I ran blindly through the darkness, so high off the adrenaline, I no longer felt the pain oozing from the cuts across my back. I was soaked to the bone, covered in mud and twigs, and rapidly slowing down. Yet I pressed on, in fear of the monster getting me. I don't know I long I'd been running for, but eventually, the shrieks quieted and my legs finally caved in. I collapsed on the soft, moist earth, crying out in exhaustion, hoping someone, anyone would hear me. And something did hear me, but it did not bring help. Helplessly I watched the monster run towards me as my vision blurred, it shrieked again as it raised itself over me. I let out one last meek cry for help before---_

**RIIIIIING. RIIIIIING. RIIIIING.**

I shot up and screamed, cursing profusely as sweat poured down my back. I looked around in a panic, my vision spinning. I rolled over, falling off the bed onto my fuzzy carpet Groaning, I tried to set myself up, focusing on steadying my breaths. It was just a dream--it was just a dream, I kept repeating.

"It was just a dream," I managed to sigh, resting my head on my bed. I sat there in silence, slowly relaxing. Wiping my forehead I stood, and suddenly a searing pain ran down my back. I cried out in agony, barely managing to catch myself on a nightstand before I hit the floor again. Heaving myself over to my dresser I lifted my nightshirt and turned my back to the mirror, peeking my head over. A long, deep gash ran down my back; blood and black ooze spilling from it. I screamed again, panic taking over me. It was at this moment Silver finally burst in through the wall. 

"What's the matter?!" he exclaimed, voice cracking. I looked at him, then at myself in the mirror, the wound no longer there. I ran my fingers through my hair, pressing into my scalp.

"I-i'm fine, I'm f-fine," I said, more to myself than as a reply. Silver floated over, placing his hands on my shoulder with a worried look on his face. 

"You are not fine, you were just screaming a second ago," he frowned. "What happened?!" My lip trembled as I choked back tears. I would not cry in front of him again...

"It was just...a bad dream," I said, inhaling sharply. Silver wrapped his arms around me, his coldness feeling nice against my heated body. I relaxed, closing my eyes as I soaked in his comfort. 

"Sorry," he said, pulling away awkwardly. "I-i-i figured--"

"It's okay, Silv," I chuckled. "Thank you." Silver nodded, smiling shyly. We stood in silence for a moment, both fidgeting until I finally spoke up again. "I better get ready for the day, still lots of unpacking to do," I smiled sheepishly. Silver nodded, rubbing his arm; he looked as if he wanted to say something more, but could not find the words.

"May I, watch some TV downstairs?" he finally asked softly, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes. I cooed, nodding.

"Yes, you may," 

Silver hastily flew through the floor and before long I heard the distance murmur of Spongebob being played from the living room. Still shaken up, I took a quick shower, washing the sweat and bad dreams away with fruity smelling shampoo. Dawning a fresh pair of clothes I finally felt at ease and began to unpack and clean a bit more. I took care of the other rooms upstairs excluding mine, noting things I needed to get eventually after I had the funds for it. Finally, it was time for something I was dreading to do since the start, go through the attic. 

I had vivid memories of getting trapped up there once, in the dark, all alone, which was enough to stir back up uneasiness in me. I pulled down the ladder, coughing and sputtering as the dust flew into my face. 

"Now I'll have to mop again," I groaned, begrudgingly ascending. The attic was dark and smelled of musk and old people. I scrunched my nose up, flicking up the light switch. It took a moment for the bulb to finally turn on. It was more vacant than I had expected, my grandparents must have taken the majority of the stuff. The only things remaining were a few chests and old wooden boxes, a pool table, some manikins, and what appeared to be a mirror covered by a thin yellow cloth. I looked at the manikins, narrowing my eyes. "You guys are going straight to the garbage," I said, quickly walking by them. My attention now turned to the old chests; opening the first one to reveal antique clothing. I smiled, lifting one of the dresses I knew was my grandmother's. She had always told me since I was a child she'd give me the old dresses she used to wear in her youth, I guess the old (f/a) remained true to her word. 

The clothes were still in decent condition, but smelled and were way out of this day and age's fashion. I set the dress down, popping open another chest. This one was filled with books and other small items. I pulled out one of the books, wiping off the cover. 

"Spells, potions, and more?" I read, furrowing my eyebrows. I pulled out another book. "Complete book of Witchcraft...what--what are these books?" I pulled out every book, and they all related to the same thing. "Was Mema a witch?" My thoughts were jolted to a halt when out of the corner of my eye I saw something move. Whipping my head to the side I saw that the cloth over the mirror had fallen. My reflection stared back at me, lightened only by the pale glow of the lamp above. I found myself entranced, walking up closer to it. The glass felt cool underneath my fingertips as a slight tingling feeling ran through my body. I suddenly noticed I could see my breath, and snapped back to reality. A shadow whizzed behind me in the mirror, and before I knew it I was plunged into darkness as the light burst. I jumped, squealing as I ran directly for the ladder, and leaped down; regretting my decision almost instantly. I squirmed as pain seared up my legs, but bit my tongue and slowly limped it off. One of these days I was going to break something--

Silver was still sitting happily on the couch watching cartoons when I walked by. I stopped and watched him for a moment, a bittersweet smile forming on my face.

"Poor kid," I muttered, sauntering off to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. This was my last frozen dinner, and I maybe had enough to order a pizza or take-out later tonight. I looked over to a small calendar on my wall, staring at the big red words written on tomorrow: JOB INTERVIEW. "One more day," I mused, pulling out my not-so-hot meal and scarfing it down. 

☠

Inside town was bustling; people littered the streets going to and fro, hanging what appeared to be decorated for some sort of holiday. Driving carefully into the main plaza I saw people hanging a banner between two post lamps.

Tribuisti Sepulchro

I furrowed my eyebrows, the year of Latin I had taken in high school proving to be no help. I still stared at it even as I stepped out of the car, oblivious to my surroundings.

"Dudette!!" a voice suddenly called out, making me turn my head. A familiar lime green hedgehog ran towards me from the other side of the street, a stupidly wide grin on his face. "It's so good to see you again, it's me, Manic!"

"I remember," I chuckle slightly as the boy catches his breath. "It's nice to see you too."

"So whatcha doin' out here? You here to help with preps for the festival?" he asked. I scratched my cheek.

"Eh, no, I kinda just came to walk around but say, what's this festival about?"

"Tribuisti Sepulchro," Manic explained, "Festival of the Grave, basically just Halloween two point oh, but more epic." 

I hummed, "I see; so it's just a Solz thing?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, it's just a Solz thing. It has been a tradition in this town ever since it was founded."

"Cool," I smiled.

"Hey, by the way, have you had lunch yet? I was going to go grab a bite with some friends of mine, I could get you something too," he offered, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to be a bother, you go have fun with your friends," I waved goodbye to the hedgehog only for him to quickly run in front of me.

"You wouldn't be a bother, come on dudette," he got on his knees in front of me, clasping his hands together. "Please, please, please, please, please!!" he begged. My face flushed slightly as the people passing by began to stare.

"Alright, alright, just get up," I hissed softly, lifting the drama queen up. Manic grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him before I could get another word in. This feels like deja vu.

Once again I was brought back to Solz Spice; the warm scent of freshly baked goods sending waves of pleasure through me. I sighed, soaking in the good vibes. It was quite busy inside, nearly all the tables were filled. In the back, close to the booth Sonic and I had sat my first few days here was a full table of different mobians. They all looked up at us as we approached.

"Hey guys, this is (Y/n)!" Manic introduced.

"So this is Sonic's new girlfriend?" a small bee spoke up, looking no more than ten or eleven years old. I felt my face heat up a bright red.

"I am not his girlfriend!" I squeaked, trying to regain my composure.

"Charmy, apologize, that was rude," the tall, broad green crocodile spoke down to the young bumblebee. 

"I don't have to listen to you, Vector, you're not my dad," the bee, Charmy, stuck his tongue out towards the crocodile. The two started bantering back and forth before suddenly the third member of the group sat up, everyone went still. It took one look from his beautiful golden eyes to send the others into an apologetic frenzy--wait, what did I just say?

"I think an apology is necessary for both of you. We don't want poor (Y/n) to think we're a bunch of rude barbarians, now do we?" the chameleon spoke. 

"We're sorry," Vector and Charmy both bowed their heads.

"It's fine, really," I brushed it off, giggling lightly. The chameleon stood up, bowing to greet me. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, my name is Espio," he said. I smiled, repeating his gesture. 

"The pleasure is all mine, my name is (Y/n) but it sounds like someone already told you that," I nudged Manic slightly, causing the hedgehog to chuckle sheepishly. Espio smiled a bit, pulling out a chair and offering me a seat. What a gentleman, I mused to myself.

We talked for quite some time, the topics drifting from one to another. Vanilla had brought us lots of treats from freshly baked bread to berry tarts. I offered to pay for a portion of the price but the group insisted otherwise. 

"Just save your cash, I've got it," Manic grinned. "Think of it as a welcoming gift from us to you." 

"I really don't mind helping out, but if you insist," I sighed, smiling. Manic shot me a thumbs up, stepping away for a moment. Vector had taken Charmy to the restroom so it was just me and Espio left. I glanced over at the purple chameleon while he was staring down at a book in his hands. I reached my head up a little, trying to sneak a peek of what the title was. 

"Sherlock Holmes," Espio suddenly said. I flinched a little, my cheeks growing hot. 

"O-oh," I said sheepishly. "Is it any good?" Espio looked up at me, smiling softly. 

"It's intriguing, to say the least. Have you read it before?"

"That book, maybe; I haven't done a lot of reading for entertainment since high school," I answered, scratching my cheek. Espio nodded, closing his book. 

"Perhaps you and I could take a trip to the library then sometime," he offered. 

"It's a date then," I paused. "E-er-- I mean, yeah, sure, that sounds great!!" I wheezed, trying to remain composed. Espio, let out a light chuckle returning to his book. Smooth (Y/n), smooth--

Marlot, gold, and umber colored leaves covered the trees; clashing vividly against the soft blue sky. They shimmered and shook as a slight cool breeze blew through them, also carrying a scent of cinnamon and dirt. Manic and I had parted from the group at the cafe, him telling me he wanted to talk about something. Silence covered us at first, but it was not long before the lime hedgehog finally spoke up. 

"It sure isn't chilly, ain't it," he shivered, wrapping his vest tighter around himself. I hummed. 

"Yeah, but it beats the heat," 

"Yeah, I can see where you're coming from," he grinned. "I'm guessing the summers were pretty hot where you previously lived?"

I rolled my eyes, scoffing, "Don't even get me started." Manic laughed, throwing his head back. 

"That bad huh? Was there at least a way to cool down? Pools? Lakes? Beaches?" he asked. 

"There were a few beaches," I replied. "But they were always full of garbage and drunk teenagers." 

Manic frowned, "Awe, that's no good. There are a few good beaches outside of the city nearby; I'll have to take you there sometime, maybe catch some waves?"

"Wouldn't your brother get jealous?" I arched my eyebrow. 

"Probably," he snickered mischievously. "It'll be payback for all the times he's run off with someone without me." I chuckled as Manic crossed his arms, pouting. "But in all honesty, he's a good guy and a good brother. I mean he's put up with me for this long and hasn't kicked me out yet after all." We laughed before slowly drifting back into silence. I looked up at the trees, watching as the leaves shimmer and shook on the branches. 

"So--what did you want to ask me?" I piped up finally, turning to Manic. Manic paused for a moment, chewing on his lip. 

"Let's go somewhere more private first, I know a good place," he said, offering me his arm. I took it hesitantly, a foreboding feeling resting in my stomach. Manic led me to a graveyard, and the pit in my stomach began to grow heavier. My heartbeat sped up as all the worst possible scenarios were running through my head. Was he gonna kill me--? Or did he already kill someone and need me to help him bury the body? I'm too young to die--! "Sorry this place is so dreary, I know it's not the ideal place to be talking to someone but I didn't want anyone else to hear us."

"You're not going to kill me, are you--?" I blurted out. Manic turned to me, his eyes flashing with confusion. 

"Dudette what? No! I'm not gonna kill you!! What in the heck gave you--oh," Manic stopped himself, putting two and two together. "I-i'm sorry," he quickly said. "My bad, I know what you mean know, I'm not going to kill you. Sheesh, I really am an idiot--" 

I let out a breath of relief, "Oh thank god, I'm sorry--" 

Manic let out a sheepish chuckle, "No, no, it's my bad. I guess I probably could've just told you a little bit about what I wanted to ask you." The boy turned to me, leaning against one of the tombstones. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

I froze, my blood-curdling. For a minute my brain was unable to come up with a coherent answer as my fears rose. 

"The reason I ask is that I'm in a ghost hunting group, of sorts. Espio, Vector and Charmy are in it too and we were wondering if you maybe wanted to, you know, join us?" he smiled hesitantly. "I know! I know, it's weird but we all just feel like you'd be a really good fit!!" I couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh, earning me a puzzled look from Manic.

"Sorry, sorry I'm not laughing at you," I quickly reassured. "I'd love to join your group."

"Oh, it's okay, I understand why you wouldn't--wait, really?!!!" Manic beamed. 

"Yeah, and besides, you guys seem cool, I'd love to hang out with you more," 

Manic turned around for a moment, squealing silently before he turned back. 

"I am happy you accepted our invitation," he said calmly. "I will give you my phone number and send you the address and meet-up time for our next meeting." I smiled, chuckled. 

"Sounds good, Man," 

The hedgehog smiled back, holding out a closed fist. 

"Fist bump?" 

I bumped it, "Fist bump."

☠

"Thank you, please come again," I sighed, watching yet another customer pay for their things and leave. I leaned back out on the register, stretching my spine out as I groaned. I heard footsteps approach me, and thinking it was another customer I straightened. "Hello, did you find everything today--"

"Actually no, I can't seem to find the key to your heart. Do you happen to know where I could find it?" Sonic asked, smirking playfully. 

"Sorry, unfortunately, we do not sell that here," I rolled my eyes, going back to leaning against the register. Sonic chuckled, sitting up on the counter and pulling a few mints out from his pocket.

"Want one?" Sonic offered. I eyed the mints warily.

"How long have those been in your pocket?" I asked. 

"Come on, (Y/n) I just grabbed them this morning," he threw one at me, shaking his head. I snickered softly, popping the mint into my mouth and focusing on the cool feeling spreading over my tongue. 

"Today's a slow day, huh?" I mused, pressing random buttons on the register. 

"Yeah," Sonic replied, "It's usually this way on Wednesdays." It had been about a week now since my interview had been. Sonic kept his word and had managed to convince his manager to hire me without asking many questions. Our manager's name was Blaze; a purple feline with eyes as bright as flames. She was quiet mostly, kind, but strict. She wouldn't take crap from anyone, customer or employee; that was one of the things that made her so cool. Other than Sonic and Blaze, I couldn't remember the names of the other employees that worked here due to them always slacking off and skipping work or taking hour-long breaks back to back. 

"Hey Sonic," I piped up suddenly.

The azure hedgehog turned his attention towards me, tilting his head slightly, "What's up babe?" 

I glared at him, "Well now I'm not going to ask--" 

"Wait, wait, I'm sorry!!" he chuckled sheepishly. "What is it, (Y/n)?"

"That's better," I huffed. "Anyways, could I maybe come over to your place after our shift is over? Your brother has repeated texted me that he needs to show me something and he can't meet up someplace."

"Lazy ass--" Sonic muttered underneath his breath, but quickly cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah!! For sure, you could even stay for dinner if you'd like~"

"Maybe," I hummed, winking at the azure boy. Sonic perked up a little bit, appearing to like this idea a little more

"And if you want you could maybe stay the night and we could--"

"Don't push your luck dork," I warned, chuckling. Sonic shrugged, hopping off the counter as a customer approached. He shot a pair of finger guns at me, winked, and disappeared behind the shelves as I assumed he went back to stocking the shelves--hopefully.

I let out a soft sigh as the cool evening air hit my face. The sky was dark already so you could see some of the stars. I watched the tiny diamonds twinkle against the abyss as I wondered for but a moment what it would be like up there. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car horn, and that very same car pulling up next to me.

However it was not Sonic that had pulled up, but a stranger. They rolled down their window, the loud music playing on the radio spilling out into the air. They turned their nose, sliding their shades down a bit as they eyed me up and down. 

"Heya good-looking, you need a ride?" they asked, a devilish grin spreading across their face. "I could give you a couple of different rides if you'd like." If I wasn't so shocked, I was sure I would've vomited. But it wasn't his boldness I was shocked at, rather the fact that he had completely black eyes and horns protruding from his forehead.

"A demon--" I muttered, backing up slightly. The creature, confused, tilted its head and motioned for me to come closer. Despite every atom in my body screaming at me to run I stepped forward. Whatever spell had been cast over me seemed to break the instant I heard police sirens flare up for a moment. The demon looked around startled and quickly sped off. I stood there stunned for a moment, my body shivering as it tried to assess what just occurred. 

"(Y/n)?" Sonic's voice spoke from behind me, as he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I jumped, turning my neck too fast towards the hedgehog. 

"Ow, ooh, hi Sonic," I winced, chuckling lightly. A puzzled expression settled on his face. 

"You okay?" the hedgehog asked, narrowing his eyes at me. 

"Yeah, yeah," I brushed it off, wrapping my arms around myself, "Just cold." Sonic's eyes widened before he quickly yanked off his jacket and wrapped it around me. 

"Here, let's get you to the car and I'll get the heater going," he said, placing a hand on my back a gently guiding me forward. As we walked out into the parking lot my eyes caught sight of a cop car sitting off in a shaded corner, causing a smile to creep up on my lips. 

"Thanks edgelord," I muttered softly.

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> excuse my lack of skill in Latin, I used Google translator to help me with the name for the festival because I was feeling Unus Annus-y but I have severe doubts that the translation is correct


	7. 6 || Knock, Knock

𝕻𝖗𝖔 𝕿𝖎𝖕: 𝕴𝖋 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖈𝖐𝖘 𝖔𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖉𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖑𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙, 𝖉𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖓 𝖎𝖙

☠

"Pizza's here!!!" Manic announced, waltzing into the living room like a knight in shining armor. Sonic cheered as his brother set the boxes down on the small coffee table in front of the couch, reaching over and grabbing one of the paper plates that had already been placed before.

"Did they bring the breadsticks?" Sonic asked. Manic dove through the several boxes of greasy calories before handing the Sonic the breadsticks. "Sweet," Sonic grinned, stacking his plate up to the brim. I shook my head slightly, readying myself my own plate before the blue hedgehog ate everything. 

"And since (Y/n) is our guest tonight, she gets to pick what we watch," Manic grinned smugly, handing me the TV remote as if it were some ancient scepter of power. I took the remote and flipped through the guide, scanning the names until I saw something that caught my eye; a devilish smirk spread across my lips. 

"You dudes aren't afraid of a little--Annabelle, are you?" I asked. Both of the boys stopped eating for a moment, looking at each other nervously. 

"E-eh, no, no! At least I'm not, a-are you, Sonic?" Manic asked his brother, before shoving some more pizza into his mouth. 

"Nope," Sonic quickly answered, copying his brother. I clicked the movie, turning up the volume to an acceptable level before tossing the remote to the side and munching down on the pizza. The movie dragged on, creepy doll here, scream there, another scream, jumpscare, blah, blah, blah--I guess being able to see ghosts, ghouls, and demons alike you kind of become desensitized to it. Manic and Sonic, however, despite their bests attempts, couldn't help but jump with each sudden loud noise that arose from the TV; Sonic had even taken a seat on the couch next to Manic and me from his spot on the floor. 

As the credits rolled, I let out a bored yawn, rubbing my eyes. 

"Man, I don't know why people hyped that movie up, it kinda sucked," I chuckled. Sonic glanced at me, deep concern flashing through his face. 

"Y-yeah," he coughed and cleared his throat. "That wasn't scary at all--"

I lunged at the azure hedgehog, clawing at him while snarling. Sonic yelped, the momentum causing him to fall off the couch and knock a drink over on the coffee table. Manic and I both burst out laughing as Sonic's face grew redder by the second. 

"Very funny (Y/n)," Sonic grumbled, flinging some of the drink off his arm. I held my stomach, continuing to laugh as a few tears rolled down my face. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry--that was so mean--" I wheezed, trying to help him up. A smile graced Sonic's face, as he began to laugh a little with us. 

"That was pretty good," he chuckled. 

"Pretty good?!" Manic exclaimed. "That was totally wicked!!! Oooh, I wish I would have recorded that--" Sonic's smiled morphed into an unimpressed frown at his brother's words. I pat Sonic on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up. Sonic crossed his arms, cheeks still red, and bit the inside of his cheek. Then in the blink of an eye, Manic was keeled over, clutching his shin in the spot where Sonic had kicked him.

"Asshole--" Sonic muttered, leaning closer to me. 

"Asshole?!!" Manic repeated. "You're the asshole!! What was that for?!" 

"Alright, alright you two, no more fighting," I said, trying to contain my laughter. Sonic stuck his tongue out at his brother, Manic returning the favor. I rolled my eyes, throwing myself back into the couch with an exasperated groan, "You two are like pre-schoolers in twenty-something year old's bodies--"

"He's the bigger child!" Manic pointed at his brother, trying to defend himself. I glared sharply at the lime hedgehog, earning a small whine of defeat from him. A few seconds past, before we all started laughing again.

It was around 2:30 in the morning by now, and Sonic had long since passed out sprawled across the couch. Manic and I sat on the floor, staring up at the glaring screen playing late-night anime shows. A comfortable silence sat over us, a silence that was soon broken.

"Sooo we're having a meeting tomorrow--" Manic paused, briefly looking over at his brother. "And the gang and I were wondering if it'd be okay we met someplace a little--different." 

"Why? Did the library not accept your request to borrow a room?" I asked. 

"Oh, no, no! They did; we're usually the only ones who request rooms anyway--but that's not why; our reason is we found this cool abandoned place just a little way out of town, and we really, really, really want to explore it with you. Pleeeeeeeaaaase!!" the hedgehog got down on his knees and begged quietly. I ushered him up, afraid his squealing might wake the blue sleeping beauty.

"Alright, alright, that's fine! Gee dude, why do you keep doing that?" I shook my head, smacking his arm lightly. 

"Because I found that that's the way to get what a want," he answered rather smugly. 

"You could just ask like a normal person?" I pointed out.

"Where's the fun in that?" Manic retorted. We both laughed quietly before Manic spoke up again. "Hey (Y/n)--" Manic began but paused, closing his mouth. I tilted my head slightly, arching an eyebrow.

"What's up broski?" I nudged him. Manic smiled, shaking his head.

"It's nothing, nevermind," he yawned. "I guess we better get to bed--"

I nodded, slowly realizing how tired I was as well, "Yeah--"

"You can sleep in my room if you want, or if you help me carry this dumbo up you can have the couch," he offered. I peeked over at the snoring sleeping beauty on the couch, shaking my head.

"Nah, let the princess get her beauty sleep," I teased. "I'll sleep on the floor."

Manic's eyebrows furrowed, "Are you sure? You can crash in my bed if you want. I swear I clean the sheets regularly--"

"It's fine, I'd feel more comfortable sleeping on the floor anyway," I replied, scratching the back of my neck. Manic nodded slowly.

"I'll go grab you some blankets!" Manic quickly said, rushing up and out of the living room. I turned off the TV, quiet darkness filling the entire room. I closed my eyes and just allowed my muscles to relax. 

**Knock--knock--knock.**

My eyes shot open, my heartbeat speeding up at the sound of the knocking noise. I looked around, trying to see anything through the darkness. 

"Manic?" I called out quietly, only to hear no response. 

**Knock--knock--knock.**

There it was again. I stood up, grabbing my phone to use as a light source as I maneuvered my way to the front door. As I approached the door, the sound of someone breathing behind it hit my ears, making my blood run ice cold. I picked up a nearby baseball bat, carefully peeking through the peephole on the door. A shadow stood hunched over on the front porch, its body rising and falling slowly as it let out its heavy breaths. 

**Knock--knock--knock.**

"Who's at the door?" Manic's voice suddenly rose from behind me. I shrieked, dropping the bat in my hands. I struggled to reply to the hedgehog as the knock came again.

**Knock--knock--knock!!!**

"J-just a minute!!" Manic yelled, walking past me with a confused expression on his face. Without thinking, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, putting a finger over my lips. Manic opened his mouth to argue but sealed it suddenly. The knocking continued to grow more frantic. 

" _L--le---let me---in_ ," a hoarse voice said from behind the door. I felt Manic freeze, his free hand slowly reach up and grasping mine that held his arm. The knocking continued to grow louder, and louder, the door handle began to shake violently as a howl began to rise from whatever was behind the door, and then----it stopped. Nothing moved, nor made a sound. I slowly approached the door, Manic still clinging to me, and peered out the peephole; the shadow was gone. I let out a shaky breath of relief, running my hand through my hair. Manic looked at me, then at the door, then back at me. 

"W-what--what was that?!" he asked, his voice cracking. I shook my head, shrugging. 

"I don't really know," I replied. "But, it wasn't just some random person--"

"Was it a ghost?" Manic asked, his voice barely audible. 

"I think, we should go to bed," I said, pulling him along with me. Manic didn't answer as he allowed himself to be pulled. Walking into the living room, I saw the hedgehog had already set up a makeshift bed for me. Sleep pulled me in like a wave, and I slowly collapsed down onto the soft, fluffy blankets. Manic still stood where I had let him go for a moment, eyes glued in the direction of the door. I sat up, gently pulling him down onto the blankets with me. "Just lay down," I whispered.

Slowly Manic laid down, sleep overtaking him. I smiled a bit as he curled up, snores already rising from him. Sighing, I laid down myself, staring up at the ceiling as my eyes tried to discern what was real and what was just the darkness playing tricks. I swore I still heard the knocking coming from the front door, but I knew it was just my imagination. Slowly I closed my eyes, sleep reeling me in.

**Knock--knock--knock--**

☠

The smell of bacon and eggs abruptly slapped me awake from my dreams. My body creaked and cracked as I sat up, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes. I looked around, seeing neither of the brothers near me, that was until I felt some shifting to my left. Alarmed, I peeled back the blankets to find Sonic's arms wrapped around me as his face was buried in my side. He shifted as the cold air hit him, slowly waking. Realization spread across his face, and he quickly let go and sat up. 

"I'm sorry--!!" he squeaked, his cheeks a vibrant red. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to appear angry. 

"Pervert--" I muttered, standing up. Sonic looked devastated as I walked away, and I couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Yo Manic, it smells amazing," I drooled as I stepped into the kitchen, the smell growing ever stronger. Manic glanced over at me, a grin spread across his face. 

"Thanks! I promise it tastes even better; go ahead and grab a seat, I'll be done in a minute," he said. Eagerly I walked over, pulling myself a chair at the table before sitting down. Sonic sauntered in, his posture slouched. He sat down with a loud, exaggerated 'umph' and stared at the table. I frowned a bit, poking the hedgehog's cheek. 

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked. 

Sonic turned to me, sniffling, "Am I really a perv?" I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. 

"Yes,"

"Ouch, okay, I'm not talking to you anymore," Sonic pouted, turning his head in a fit. I couldn't help but laugh a teeny tiny bit. 

"Oh come on Blue; you know I'm teasing," I poked his shoulder. Sonic remained turned away despite my incessant poking. I sighed softly, "I'm sorry for calling you a perv--"

"I don't believe you," Sonic butted in, turning towards me. I cocked my eyebrow as the hedgehog slowly leaned closer to me. "But maybe if you give me a kiss--"

"Sonic, stop being a pervert," Manic shoved his brother away from me, his face scowled. I laughed as Sonic shot a hard glare at his brother, flipping him off. Manic set a plate of food down in front of me and set another one I assumed to be for Sonic, at the opposite end of the table. Rolling his eye Sonic reached over and dragged his plate in front of him, mumbling. "You're welcome," Manic snorted, flicking his brother's ear, which earned him an elbow to the hip courtesy of the azure hedgehog. 

I took a fork, glancing at the amazing-looking food displayed on my plate. I took a bit of egg, biting down, ecstasy washing over my tastebuds. 

"Holy shit this is good!" I beamed, taking another bite as my tail thumped against my chair. Manic sat down, a wide grin on his face. 

"Aww geez, thanks dudette," he chuckled, a pinkish hue tinting his cheeks. Sonic picked at his food, glaring at his brother in envy, but eventually, the azure hedgehog got over it and began munching away at his breakfast. 

"You should be a chef, Man," I sighed, leaning back after just finishing the last few crumbs off my plate. 

"I am," Manic replied, nearly making me choke.

"Really?" I asked in between coughs. Manic nodded, chuckling softly.

"Surprising, I know; I usually work at a restaurant in the city nearby, but it's closed for renovations right now so instead, I'm helping Vanilla at Solz Spice a couple of times a week," he explained. I whistled, impressed. 

"Dude, that's awesome! I'm happy for you," I grinned. Manic's face flushed a bit brighter as he averted his eyes. I felt Sonic rest his head on my shoulder, making a low, angry grumble noise. I rolled my eyes, patting the azure hedgehog's head haphazardly. I leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I do think you're cooler though Blue."

The hedgehog instantly sat up, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. 

"Well thank you for the meal bro, it was delightful. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go do some cool stuff," the hedgehog spun around on his heel, marching off up the stairs and to his room, I assumed. 

"I guess putting your dishes in the sink isn't consider 'cool'" Manic shook his head, gathering his and his brother's plates before placing them in the sink. I followed him, helping him clean up a bit.

"So, when are we leaving for this ' _cool abandoned place_ ' you mentioned last night," I asked after we had finished the dishes. Manic furrowed his eyebrows, then muttered a soft 'ooh' as he remembered. 

"Vector should be coming to pick us up around noon, so if you want I can drive you home to get changed," he said. I nodded my head, looking down at my well-worn clothes; I prayed that I did not smell too bad. 

"Sounds like a plan," I answered.

As the hot water washed away the impurities from the previous day, I let out a long sigh of relief. I heard a soft knock come from the door, making me peek my head out from behind the curtain. 

"Hello?" I called out. Carefully Silver fazed through the door, his hands hovering over his eyes.

"I-i'm s-sorry to bother you (Y/n), but I t-think you should come see t-this," Silver said timidly, carefully peering out from behind his hands. I cocked my head slightly, eyebrows furrowed. 

"Alright, just give me a minute," I said, before ducking back into the shower to turn off the water. I stepped out, making myself look decent before stepping out from the bathroom. Silver was waiting to the right of the door, his eyes glued in the direction of my room. "What is it, buddy?" I asked, wringing my hair out with a towel. Silver jumped a little, relaxing when he saw it was me. 

"Someone--someone came into your room today and left something. I tried to see who it was but they just, vanished--" he explained. 

"Vanished?" I repeated, my heartbeat speeding up a little. Silver timidly nodded, sticking close to my side as I marched straight for my room. I opened the door, my eyes scanning for any anomalies. My eyes landed on a piece of paper and twig placed neatly on my desk. I picked up the piece of paper, unfolding it to find it was my list of numbers that the pixie had stolen days earlier. But it was not just numbers on the paper now, no, underneath it all written in jagged dark letters were the words: I saw you.

I didn't know whether to laugh or scream. 

"I--saw you??" Silver read from over my shoulder, his tone sounding as confused as I felt. "Who saw who?" I shook my head, too stunned to answer. I saw you--who could've written this? I doubted it was that pesky pixie, but if it was not them, then who? My eyes drifted over to the twig still laying on my desk. Inspecting closer I saw that there was some sort of black dried substance covering it. Carefully I picked up the twig and threw it straight in the trash, and stuffed the paper into my desk. 

"Must've been just a prank," I laughed sheepishly, trying to calm my nerves. Silver looked bothered, staring over at the twig in the trash. 

"I'm sorry I didn't catch who it was--" he looked down at the ground, ears pinning back. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay Silv," I tried reassuring him. "Don't worry about it, okay? It doesn't matter now anyway--"

Silver looked at me, concerned, "How are you brushing this off so easily--?"

I struggled to find an answer for a moment. 

"Honestly," I paused. "I don't know--" We stood for a moment before my phone began to buzz, snapping me from my daze. "Shit, I have to pack," I hissed, quickly grabbing a backpack and throwing anything I might need in it. 

"Where are you going?" Silver asked, following me as I trudged downstairs. 

"I'm going out to this abandoned place out of town with some friends," I answered, digging into a few unpacked boxes and pulling out a flashlight and medkit. "You're always welcome to follow--if you can that is," I scratched my cheek, feeling a bit guilty for leaving the poor ghost boy alone again. 

"Don't feel bad!" Silver quickly said. "I'll stay here, and make sure no one else leaves any weird notes!!" He saluted towards me, before marching back and forth in the air next to my bed. I chuckled softly, smiling. 

"Thanks, Silv. Feel free to watch cartoons if you want," I waved goodbye, heading outside. A blue van sat parked outside, looking suspiciously like a knockoff Mystery Van. As I approached closer, Manic peeked his head out from the passenger window. 

"(Y/N)!!!~" he cheered as I ran up, shaking my head. 

"Is this supposed to be the Mystery Van from Scooby-Doo?" I asked, teasing a bit. Manic bit the inside of his cheek, looking around skeptically. 

"No--I don't know what you're talking about," he replied sheepishly.

"Like zoinks man," I giggled, opening the sliding door and hopping in. Charmy and Espio were seated with me and the back while Vector drove. We idly chatted the length of the ride until we finally managed to reach our destination. Stepping out of the van I was hit suddenly with a gust of cold wind. I shivered, tugging my thin jacket closer to me in an attempt to save any warmth I had. 

"Creeeepppyyy," Charmy said as he buzzed beside me. "Let's go catch some ghosts!!!"

"Not so fast Charmy," Vector said, snatching the young bee up before he was able to make it even a foot. "You're not going anywhere until you put this on." Vector placed a pink bike helmet on the bee's head, making him groan out in disgust. 

"No way! I'm not wearing this stupid thing!!" Charmy knocked the helmet off to the ground, crossing his arms in a fit. Vector crossed his arms as well, turning his nose up. 

"Fine, then you get to wait in the van," he said. 

"But that's not fair!!" he cried. "Espio help me--!!" Espio glanced over at the boy, saying nothing, so instead, he turned to Manic. 

"Vector's right, little dude. This place is old and falling apart, so you wearing a helmet here is necessary," Manic said. Charmy frowned. 

"But it's pink!!" 

"You know, I heard that the people who wear the color pink are more likely to experience paranormal activity," I smirked. "So if you won't wear the helmet Charmy I will--"

" _ **I WILL WEAR THE HELMET!!**_ " the young bee quickly exclaimed, picking up the helmet and smacking it down on his head as excitement flared in his eyes. Vector let out a thankful sigh, sending me a glance while Manic and Espio both chuckled. 

"Where did you hear such a thing?" Espio asked me quietly. 

"Oh, you know, online or something," I answered, giggling softly. Espio bowed his head slightly, an amused smirk on his face. Within a few minutes, we'd finished unloading the van and now stood to face the building in front of us. I let out a shrill whistle.

"Forest Haven Asylum," Manic announced. "Opened in 1925, closed in 1991 due to patients being abused among the list of other things."

I shuddered, "How lovely--"

"Welp!! Let's go in," Vector said, before proceeding to bust down the front door. I stared at the crocodile in awe and slight terror. 

"Remind me not to mess with him," I whispered to Manic, who simply snickered in response. The interior looked as hollow as the outside. Garbage, graffiti, broken equipment littered the floor and walls; it was all just a husk of what it once was. A foul stench sat in the air, the smell of death. 

"Ewww," Charmy remarked. 

"You can say that again," Manic coughed, swatting away a few flies from his face. 

"Ewwww," Charmy said again. 

"That was rhetorical, Charmy," Espio sighed, patting the young bee's helmet. Charmy shrugged, turning on his flashlight and beginning to look around. Though it was still day out, because the windows were boarded and covered in a thick layer of grime and guck, there was hardly any light seeping through at all. Each step I took sounded like I was walking on bones, I mean I probably was, but I tried not to think about it too much. My eyes roamed around, looking for anything remotely interesting when I saw a wheelchair standing in the middle of the hallway. 

The hair on my arms rose as I saw the figure of someone take form in the chair and it began to move forward. I held my breath, quickly walking away and joining up with the group who were inspecting the waiting room. 

"Are you alright?" Espio asked me. I slowly nodded, shooting a glance behind me. 

"Yeah, just got the heebie-jeebies," I responded. 

"Hey guys, come look at this!!" Manic called from behind the attendants counter, ushering us over. He showed us an old tainted photograph of a bunch of nurses and doctors. "I bet these were some of the workers," he said, holding his flashlight over the photo so we could see better. I notice dark stains covering the corners, a lump forming in my stomach. 

"There's blood on it," I stated aloud, without intending to. Manic quickly dropped the photo, shaking his hand as if that would get rid of the germs.

Manic looked at his hand with disgust as Charmy snickered, "Haha, now Manic's going to turn into a zombie!" 

"Oh no--" Manic choked, clutching his hand. "I feel it coursing through me--I'm--I'm--" Manic lurched towards me from behind the counter, but I swiftly moved out of his line of attack, sending him flailing over the counter. 

"Nice try," I purred, nudging the hedgehog with my foot as he laid sprawled on the ground. Manic snorted, brushing himself off as he stood. 

"I will get you," he threatened. I arched an eyebrow. 

"I'd like to see you try," I replied, smirking. Manic narrowed his eyes. 

"Oh, it's on,"

"Don't do anything rash you two," Espio's voice spoke up, glancing over at Charmy and Vector who were playing with some old newspapers. "We already have two kids to deal with--"

Manic and I both laughed, glancing at each other before nodding; it was on.

☠

"And then, all of a sudden the nurse heard the voice of a patient come from behind her. But when she turned around-- **NO ONE WAS THERE!!** " Manic shouted, lashing out in an attempt to scare me. I yawned, scratching my cheek.

"Sorry, did you say something?" I grinned smugly at the lime hedgehog, who gave me an unamused look.

"Oh come on, that was one of my best stories!" Manic whined, throwing himself back onto the ground. "Didn't it scare you even a little bit?"

"I-i'm scared--" Charmy butted in as he sat nestled close to Vector. We all broke out into laughter, our voices echoing throughout the empty halls. There hadn't been much activity today, minus the creepy wheelchair incident I saw when we first arrived. The halls of the asylum were rather quiet, too quiet for my liking; something was off, but I tried not to display my concern. 

"It's getting late, we should get going," Espio said after checking the time on his phone. We all collectively let out a sigh, slowly lumbering to our feet. 

"Man, I was hoping we'd have a little more action today," Manic groaned. It was as if the hedgehog had uttered some sort of curse. As soon as the words slipped his mouth, our flashlights turned off and the air suddenly dropped to freezing. Frozen with fear we all paused, waiting, listening. The sound of tires approaching alerted us first. 

"We make our way out quietly," Vector said, his tone hushed. "It's probably just some more kids looking for ghosts like us." It was not more kids, unfortunately-- As we slowly crept downstairs, we saw colors of blue and red flashing through the front windows. 

"Cops--!!" Manic and I both gasped. Suddenly someone entered through the door, and we were temporarily blinded by a bright light. 

"Hands in the air where I can--!!" a familiar voice spoke from the doorway, groaning. Shadow turned his flashlight off, rubbing his temples, "How many times have a told you, four idiots, not to trespass into places like this?!!"

"Seventeen!" Charmy answered proudly. Vector threw his face into his hands, while Espio sighed, shaking his head. Suddenly the crimson eyes landed on me, and boy did I wish I could turn invisible right about now.

"You--" he inhaled sharply. "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble." I threw my hands up in the air, rolling my eyes. 

"Hey, leave (Y/n) alone, I was the one that dragged her alone with us!" Manic intervened, stepping protectively in front of me. I cracked a small smile, raising my chin up a little higher. The moment was short-lived--

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!!" I cried as Shadow hauled me by my wrist to his vehicle. 

"Stop whining, you brought this upon yourself," he said, shoving me into the backseat. I crossed my arms, pouting as he shut the door with a loud thud. I heard Manic's muffled voice try an argue with Shadow, but the conversation did not last long. I peeked over, seeing the lime hedgehog staring at me. His ears drooped back as he mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' before slipping into the van. I watched them drive off, sighing. 

"So, you gonna arrest me, or what?" I growled quietly at the hedgehog as he entered the car. Shadow didn't answer, he merely just started the engine up. I scoffed, leaning back against the plush seat when I realized something. "Wait, I forgot my bag!!" I attempted opening the door to no avail. 

"Leave it, it's too late to go back," Shadow replied. 

"No, I can't! It has my ID, my money, my everything in it!!"

Shadow hit his head against the wheel, turning back towards me. 

"Stay," he said firmly, before stepping back out of the car. I watched him walk into the asylum, disappearing behind the dark walls. Five minutes. Ten minutes. By the time twenty minutes had passed, I began to fret. 

"He's probably just messing with me," I kept repeating to myself. "He's fine--"

But when I saw a dark figure briefly pass by a window on the first floor, I knew that wasn't the case. I cursed, trying to pry open the door with all my strength. Crying out in frustration, I decided I had no other choice but to break the window. 

"I'm not paying for this," I hissed as grabbed the near object I could find which thankfully happened to be a screwdriver. The glass cracked loudly after a few hits, and I kicked the rest out with my feet, carefully slipping out. I ran into the building, trying my best not to trip in the darkness. "Shadow!" I yelled. "Shadow this isn't funny, where are you?!" 

No voices answered, so I decided to go looking. I ran upstairs back into the room where I had left my bag to find it still sitting there. I quickly gathered it up, turning my flashlight on, and commencing my search. 

"Shadow!!" I called out again, hoping for an answer. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, and suddenly my flashlight went out. 

"He's in--the basement--" a hoarse voice spoke from behind me. I whipped around, finding the figure in the wheelchair I had seen earlier standing right behind me. I gulped, stepping back a little. 

"The basement?" I repeated, trying not to tremble. The ghost nodded its head slowly, looking down at a door slightly ajar on the base level. 

"The bad doctor--" it said, and then evaporated like a puff of smoke. I inhaled sharply, clutching the straps of my backpack until my knuckles turned white. I walked downstairs to the open door, standing in front of it for a moment. It was darker than dark if that were even possible, and a warm, metallic scent rose from it. I held my hand over my nose, carefully stepping down on the first step only to have the door slam shut behind me. 

" _ **Shit**_ \--!!"

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 


	8. 7 || Darling in Distress

𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖘 𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚

☠

"I hate this--this is dumb--I hate this--" I continued to sing as I carefully made my way down the steps with only my flashlight to guide me. The stench of metallic had only grown stronger the further I descended, making my head feel light and heavy at the same time. "Shadow, I swear to everything holy you owe me after this," I hissed after I placed my hand on something soft and squishy on the wall. I continued walking while humming my little song until I finally caught sight at the end of the stairs. Hastily I made my way down the rest, letting out a relieved sigh as I hit flat ground. A long hallway stretched on before be, doors lining each side. Each door had a single clear window on it, the rooms inside were dark, all except for one. As I walked towards that door, I couldn't help but feel eyes staring out at me from the dark rooms, making me shudder and walk a little faster. 

Before opening the door, I peered inside the room. It looked like a small child's, with a bed, dresser, toys strewn about the floor, and bright flowers painted on the walls. No one was inside, and when I tried the door handle I realized it wasn't locked. The door swung open slowly, its hinges making loud creaks. As I entered the room, I felt safe and warm. But that all quickly washed away as I heard the door slam behind me and the lock click. I ran over to the door, cursing as I frantically tried to open it to no avail. The light's flickered, and suddenly I was plunged into darkness. 

I paused for a moment, the hair on the back of my neck slowly rising as I heard slow heavy footsteps begin to trudge down the hallway. I put a hand over my mouth without thinking much of it, trying to muffle my heavy breathing. A large, hunched-over figure slowly shuffled by, panting heavily as the sound of something dragging across the floor followed behind it.

As it passed right by the room I was in, I heard it mutter, " _Cure--cure--cure--must cure the sick._ "

Thankfully the figure did not seem to see me in the room and continued walking down the hall. I heard a door open and slam shut, then let out a breath of relief. The lights in the room suddenly flickered back to life, giving me some sense of security. I turned around, looking around the room when I noticed a small boy was sitting on the bed. He wore all white, which stood out against his raven hair. He looked up at me, placing a finger over his lips and making a small 'shh' sound, before disappearing. The lights went back out but I heard the lock on the door click. 

I tried the door, and this time it opened. Stepping out into the hall I was so humbly greeted with a strong stench of rot and decay. I hurled, bracing myself against the wall as I desperately tried to cover my nose. It was as I was keeled over that I realized whatever had traversed down the hall had left a trail of blood and--maggots. I threw up again, my body trembling. After I had managed to compose myself somewhat, I followed the trail to the end of the hall, where it disappeared through a door. I let out a shaky breath, and carefully and as quietly as I could, I opened the door. 

Inside was another hallway, shorter than the last but defiantly wider; the walls were a pale green, almost grey tint, at least they appeared that way in the light of the dull fluorescents above. Hospital beds lined the walls, some even looked like they had been used recently. There was no longer a blood trail, but the strange, warm, metallic scent had come back. I pressed forward, inspecting every room. They all had strange symbols painted on the door, and all were closed except for one. As I approached the slightly open door, I heard a muffled voice coming from within. 

" _Cure--cure--cure--must cure the sick,_ "

"You're the only sick one--" I heard a different, familiar voice growl weakly. I let out a small gasp, only to instantly regret it. I barely managed to duck and hide behind a bed before someone came bursting out of the room. 

" _Cure--cure--cure--it seems a patient has escaped their room. Come out now or you will be punished,_ " the voice called. I suddenly felt very dizzy, and almost emerged from my hiding spot. But then a voice in my head screamed at me to stop, and I snapped back into reality. I heard the voice--which I knew now was most likely a doctor--groan and slowly shuffle down the hallway away from me. Carefully, I peeked out and watched as the doctor entered another room, closing the door behind them. Quickly I bolted out, running into the room. 

I notice Shadow flinched as I entered the room, but his face looked almost relieved as he saw it was me. I put a finger over my lips before I went to work untying his binds and with some struggle, I managed to free the hedgehog. But before he could even stand, I heard footsteps approaching the room, and cursed. Shadow grabbed my arm and shoved behind the chair he was in, quickly settling before the doctor entered the room. 

" _Cure--cure--cure--you wouldn't have happened to see our little runaway, would you?_ " the doctor ask. I held my breath, trying to make myself as small as possible. 

"No," was all Shadow said. I watched as the doctor's shadow moved from one end of the room to the other, the smell of rot hitting my nose. 

" _Cure--cure--cure--lying is an illness, you know. I guess I'll have to cure you of that too,_ " 

I heard the doctor pick something up, and Shadow tried to back up in the chair. I wanted to scream, to run, to grab something and swing but nothing was within my reach. Then by some miracle, something in the hall clattered and the doctor froze. I heard a strange gurgled growl rise from him, and suddenly he ran out. Shadow reached back and grabbed me by the arm, and we bolted. We managed to get through to the hall I had first walked through before I heard the doctor finally notice we were gone. 

" _Cure--cure-- **CURE--GET BACK HERE!"**_ the doctor screeched. I quickly glanced behind me to witness just what kind of creature the doctor was. He was broad, with pure black arms that appeared to be as long if not longer than his entire body. He was hunched over, large needles sticking out of his back; his skin looked like it was vacuumed sealed around his distorted skeleton; and his eyes, his eyes were by far the most frightening, peeled open by some sort of strange torture device, bloodshot, and full of complete rage. In my staring, I managed to trip over something, nearly falling face-first onto the ground. 

Thankfully Shadow managed to catch me before I did, but instead of just helping me back up, he swept me off my feet and started running up the stairs. I held onto him, my face flushing. 

"I can run ya'know," I grumbled, earning a small snort and smirk from the ebony hedgehog. Even as we ascended the stairs, the doctor grew ever closer, his scent of rot growing stronger. With the door finally in sight, hope rose in me, but that was quickly bashed into a million pieces as the doctor reached out with one of his freakishly long arms and slashed Shadow across his back. Shadow managed to get through the door but collapsed the moment following, sending me rolling off a little way.

I quickly sprung up, trying to reach out for Shadow, but before I could I was suddenly hoisted up into the air by my throat. 

" ** _Cure--cure--cure--you two have caused quite a lot of trouble. You both must be very sick, I'll have to ready some special medicine for you both,_** " the doctor chuckled as the grip around my neck grew ever tighter. I gasped, trying to claw the things hand off of my neck. I let out a desperate whine as I heard my bones began to crack. 

"Let them fucking go," I heard Shadow snap before three gunshots fired. I was suddenly dropped, landing right smack on my tailbone. I yelped, sliding out of the way as the doctor came staggering backward, screaming bloody murder. 

_**"Cure-cure-cure--what have you done?!!!"**_ he shrieked. _ **"Cure--cure--cure--you'll ruin everything!!!"**_ I felt Shadow's arms wrap around me protectively as we watched the doctor slowly collapse to the ground, sobbing loudly. Blood was painted everywhere and continued to pour and pour from the doctor's wounds. Suddenly it shuddered, letting out an ear-shattering screech before its body began to crumble like dirt. 

A human form slowly emerged from the pile of dust, it was the doctor, the real doctor. He looked around, seeming dazed and confused before I finally caught sight of us. I saw different emotions flash in his eyes, regret, fear, confusion. I put on the best smile I could. 

"I think it's time to move on, Doctor," I said, wincing as pain seared up my ribs. The doctor looked at us, then looked down at his hands, before closing his eyes. "You've cured us," I added without thinking. The doctor smiled, then gradually disappeared like dust in the wind. A groan from Shadow snapped my back onto reality. I turned and faced the hedgehog, who looked like he was ready to pass out at any minute. "We've got to get you to a hospital," I said, trying to help him to his feet. 

"No," Shadow replied through gritted teeth as he leaned against me. 

"No? No?! Are you insane?! You bleeding out and look on the verge of going unconscious, and you don't want to go to the hospital?!" I yelled at him, anger rising in me. Why was he being so stubborn?!

"What do you think will happen when they ask what happened to us, huh? What do we tell them? Oh, don't worry, we were just attacked by some giant monster in an old abandoned asylum? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Shadow rolled his eyes, taking a few steps forward. I helped the hedgehog walk until we reached his car, anger still coursing through me. "And you broke my window--" I heard the hedgehog mutter. I growled, shoving the hedgehog down in the passenger seat maybe a little too harshly.

"I saved your life you jerk!! I could've left you in there you know, and then--and then--" I inhaled sharply, slamming the door before stomping over to the driver seat and getting in. Thankfully the keys were still in the ignition, so I didn't have to talk to the stupid hedgehog before I quickly drove off. As we got farther and farther away, my anger slowly dwindled down, and guilt began to settle in. I frequently peeked over at Shadow, to make sure he was still alive and breathing. The cuts didn't seem to be too deep, but there was still a frightening amount of blood that soaked into the seat. I began to panic, wondering where the heck I was going to take him. He needed help, but he was right about the hospitals. I sighed deeply, driving to the only safe place I could think of.

☠

"I'm almost done I promise--" I winced as I continued to apply the hydrogen peroxide to Shadow's wounds. The hedgehog let out a displeased grumble, burying his face farther into the pillow on my couch. I couldn't tell if I was hurting him, or he just didn't like me touching him so much. Either way, I placed a lot of gauze on his back and wrapped it up snugly. "There," I sighed, running my hands through my hair. Shadow sat up slowly, inspecting my work. 

"Thank you," he said softly. A small smile curled up on my lips for a moment. 

"And here," I handed Shadow a cup of water and some painkillers. "These should help too." Shadow took both, but only drank the water. We sat in silence for a moment, staring off at the blank screen of the TV. The pain killers I had taken had begun to work their magic, but still, my entire body ached from the events we had just partaken in. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the soft plush of the cushions as I let out an exasperated groan. 

I felt something brush against my neck and instantly opened my eyes. Startled, Shadow pulled his hand away, clearing his throat. 

"Sorry, I was just making sure you were okay," he said, turning his face away. A smile a bit, rubbing my neck. 

"I'm fine, I mean, I'll defiantly have some giant bruises, but nothing life-threatening," I paused, "But that's only thanks to you." Shadow turned to face me, and I gave him the goofiest smile I could muster up. The hedgehog snorted, a small smile curling upon his lips. I giggled, and then slowly started it morphed into me crying. I didn't know why I started crying, but I did, and I couldn't seem to stop. I curled my knees up to my chest, hiding my face in them as I sobbed. 

I felt someone wrap their arms around me and pulled me close into something soft and fluffy. I buried my face deeper into whatever it was, trying to stifle my cries. After a few minutes of this, I stopped crying, pulling away. 

"I'm sorry," I laughed meekly, wiping my puffy eyes. 

"It's okay," Shadow said, his voice sounding a bit softer. "You don't need to apologize--"

I sniffed, peeking over slightly at the hedgehog, "You know, I'm going to sound really crazy right now but ever since I was little I've been able to see ghosts, goblins, gnomes, and pixies, but that thing----I've never been more terrified in my life."

Shadow didn't answer for a moment, "Wait, you're serious--?"

I sighed, averting my eyes, "Yeah."

"No," Shadow said, suddenly grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to face him. "Look me in the eye and say it."

I furrowed my eyebrows, maintaining eye contact with him as I repeated, "I'm able to see ghosts?"

Shadow slowly let go of me, his expression unreadable. I tilted my head, eyeing the hedgehog for any sort of explanation. 

"Unbelievable," he muttered, resting his chin on his hands. 

"Yeah, I know I'm crazy, you don't have--"

"I can see them too," he interjected. 

I nearly choked, "What?!"

Shadow sighed, shaking his head, "The ghosts and whatever, I can see them. Why did you think I didn't say anything about the whole 'chasing the pixie' the other day?"

I shrugged, "I thought you just thought I was lying again and gave up."

"I can tell when people are lying to me, remember? And I don't stop until they start telling the truth," Shadow flicked my forehead. I swatted his hand away, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. 

"I don't believe you," I said.

Shadow scoffed, "So you think I'm lying now?"

I stood, up crossing my arms, "I have one sure way to prove if you lying or not, and if you are you are going to sorely regret it--"

Shadow looked unimpressed at my attempt of intimidation, but I kept rolling with it, "Silver, come out!!" The ivory hedgehog ghost emerged from the ceiling, floating down next to me. 

"Hi, (Y/n)! Is everything--" 

Shadow and Silver both stared at each other, not one moving. Then Shadow suddenly stood up, stepping closer. 

"Silver?" he asked in disbelief. Silver looked surprised, turning to me. 

"He can see me?!" the ivory boy whisper-yelled. I smiled a bit, nodding. 

"I guess so," 

Silver turned back to Shadow, a wide smile gradually spreading across his face, "You can see me!!" Silver did a couple of loops in the air before floating down and wrapping the ebony hedgehog in a hug to his best ability. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe you can see me!! How can you see me? Could you always see ghosts? Why didn't you say anything when we were kids? I've missed you!!" 

Shadow appeared to be too flustered to speak as he stood there with his mouth hanging open. 

"Silv, give him some space," I chuckled softly. Silver stepped back, putting his hands behind as back with a sheepish laugh. 

"Sorry, Shadow," Silver said. Shadow shook his head, seeming to snap out of his daze.

"How--how are you here?" Shadow asked. 

Silver looked to the floor, shrugging, "I'd like to know that myself----but I'm sure I'll know soon because (Y/n) said they'd help me find my purpose!"

"Purpose?" Shadow repeated. 

"You know how ghosts usually appear either because something traumatic happened or there was something in life that they didn't finish? Well, I think that's why your friend here is still, well, here," I explained. Shadow ran his finger across his chin, thinking. "Whatever it is, I haven't figured it out yet," I continued. "But maybe now that you're here, we can figure it out faster."

"Yeah, teamwork!!" Silver cheered. Shadow looked over at me, opening his mouth to say something only to close it. "Say, Shadow, wanna watch cartoons like we did when we were kids?" Silver suddenly asked the ebony hedgehog, eyes shone like stars. Shadow sighed, shaking his head. 

"Sure, why not,"

☠

The hot water felt like heaven against my aching body, and the sweet smell of honeydew melon and coconut washed away the memories of rot from my nose. For a bit, I forget everything that had happened; no asylum, no monsters, no ghosts. But I could only neglect to remember for so long, and as I stepped from the warm paradise of the shower those memories quickly came crashing back. When I had said I had never been more terrified in my life, I was not lying. And something deep down inside of me knew that this was just the beginning of something far worse. I tried not to dwell on the fact, but something gnawed at me, but I couldn't pin what. 

Dawning a fresh pair of clothes, I walked downstairs stopping at the doorway to the living room. Shadow and Silver sat on the couch watching Spongebob, filling in the years they had been apart with idle chatter. If anyone had just been passing by and saw the pair, you wouldn't be able to tell that one of them was dead. Of course, you'd have to be able to see ghosts in order to even notice Silver, but I digress. The scene was charming, and I couldn't help but smile. Tearing myself away, I lumbered into the kitchen, my stomach growling loudly. I dug through the cupboards and fridge, pulling out some Oreos and Lays ( or whatever snack you'd like ) and trudging back to the living room. 

"I got some snacks," I said as I came back, setting the cookies and chips down on the coffee table. Shadow looked down at the food, then looked back at me. 

"You don't eat very healthy, do you?" he asked. 

"Are you saying I look fat?" I retorted back, narrowing my eyes at him. 

Shadow's face grew red, "No, that's not what I--you look fine, I mean--"

I laughed, patting the ebony hedgehog's head, "There, there, I was merely teasing~"

"Piss off," Shadow grumbled, his cheeks still tinted red. I sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table, peeling open the pack of Oreos before stuffing my face with one. Shadow reached over and snatched the bag of chips, hitting my face with the bag. I elbowed his knee, knowing he did that on purpose. Hours passed, and by the time we had finally stopped binge-watching two seasons straight of Spongebob, I needed a break. 

"Oey vey," I yawned as I stood up, stretching out my legs. I felt a pair of eyes watch over me, making me turn my head. "Yo edgelord, you okay?"

Shadow snapped from his daze, muttering, "Yeah--"

I smirked, inching closer, "You sure?~" If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by the glare the ebony hedgehog was shooting at me. "Okay, message received, you are fine," I backed away quickly. I went back into the kitchen, a) because I didn't want to die, and b) I wanted actual food. I was craving something with protein, so I decided to make some chicken. I pulled down a pan and some spices before I pulled out the raw poultry. I hummed a nameless tune as I cut and seasoned the meat, waiting for the pan to heat. I felt someone loom over me, and I couldn't help but jump. 

"Aye!! Shadow, don't do that!" I hissed. Shadow remained unfazed, continuing to stand over me.

"What are you making?" he asked. 

I sighed, placing a few straps of chicken in the pan, "Just some chicken."

Shadow hummed in response, and I felt him finally back off. The sound of the fridge door caught my attention, so I turned to investigate. "How about we add some zucchini and mushrooms to make stir fry?"

I began to drool, "Hell yeah." Shadow chuckled quietly, pulling out the two ingredients and without saying another word, began to chop them up. I was quite surprised but decided not to say anything. In no time, the meal was done, and ready to be served. I grabbed a couple of plates, handing one to Shadow before dishing myself up some of the delectable smelling stir fry. I didn't wait to sit at the table before I took a bite; euphoria washed over me. "Oh my stars this is so good," I whined, shoving another bite in my mouth.

Shadow nudged me with his elbow, "Go sit. It's bad for you to stand and eat."

I let outa muffled groan, rolling my eyes as I trudged to the table and sat. The ebony hedgehog took a seat next to me, and then he too began to eat. Neither of us spoke while we ate, but the silence we sat in was somewhat comforting. As I finished my last bite of food, I let out a soft relieved sigh.

"I needed that," I said. "I really do need to start eating healthier--"

I felt Shadow shift slightly in his seat, "(Y/n), I really didn't mean you looked overweight earlier."

I nearly laughed, "Oh Shad, I know you didn't, stop worrying about that. You were right though, I do tend to not eat very healthy, but Oreos are so fucking good--"

A small chuckle rose from the hedgehog, "You sound like Sonic."

I grinned, "Do I? I guess he's starting to rub off on me."

"For the love of-- please no," Shadow groaned, shaking his head.

I snickered, patting his shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, I'm not planning on becoming Sonic two point oh--at least not yet." I let out a shrill squeal as Shadow suddenly lunged at me, trapping me in his arms. Before I could react he started to tickle my sides. "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I screeched, trying to escape. "HAVE MERCY!!"

Shadow stopped his attack, but still held firmly onto me. I felt him press his face into the back of my shoulder.

"Shadow?" I asked softly, trying to catch my breath. He didn't answer and instead pressed his face deeper into my shoulder. I reached over hesitantly and began to stroke his quills, unsure of what he was doing and why. I didn't ask though, for I felt it wasn't the right thing to do. So, I continued to stroke his head until I felt his grip around me relax.

"I'm sorry--" he finally whispered. 

"For what?" I asked quietly. I brought one of my hands down and intertwined it with one of Shadow's, hoping he would take it as a comforting gesture. "Why are you sorry, Shadow?"

"I couldn't protect you," he began. "I couldn't protect you, and you got hurt because of my stupid ass. You shouldn't have had to rescue me--"

"Hey, stupid ass, don't apologize for something like that, it's unnecessary!! You can't always be a hero, Shad, sometimes you need saving too. And sure, I got hurt, but I'm not dead!!" I paused, taking a deep breath. "You saved me, Shad, and that's what matters. Stop apologizing." Shadow was silent after I was done speaking, but he did squeeze my hand a bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off so rude--"

"You're right," Shadow spoke up finally. "You weren't rude, you were just honest, and I--I needed that, thank you." I met his gaze, and a smile caressed my lips.

"No, thank you, darling,~" I grinned sheepishly. Shadow's face turned a deep red as he crushed my hand.

"I told you to forget that," he growled. I laughed, wincing a bit as I tried pulling my hand away. 

"How could I? You looked so sexy--" I paused, realizing I was saying my thoughts aloud. My ears drooped down in shame as my face turned as red as a tomato. "I want--to fucking--die," I muttered as I stood up, hoping the hedgehog hadn't heard me, even though I know he did. However, before I could get even a step away I was pulled back into a fairly toned and fluffy chest. I let out a small squeak as I was wrapped tighter in the embrace. 

"You're so adorable, baby," Shadow whispered in my ear. I let out a confused noise in response, only making Shadow chuckle.

"Awwww," a voice suddenly interrupted us. I shoved myself away from Shadow, horrified as I saw Silver floating behind us, geeking out. "You guys are so cute!!!" he squealed. "Ooooh, I need to come up with a ship name for you two~"

"No," Shadow and I both stated firmly. Silver frowned, crossing his arms with still a devious glint in his eyes. I covered my face with my hands, trying to calm down. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before uncovering my face and marching straight back to the living room without an added word. I sat down on the couch, drowning myself in cartoons. Silver was the first to come back, and then Shadow. The ebony hedgehog's cheeks were still tinted a bit pink, and I could only wonder what my cheeks looked like. Hehe, he called me baby----wait, shut up brain!

I grumbled quietly and laid down on the couch, my head just inches away from Shadow. I felt the hedgehog's gaze on me once more, and closed my eyes, trying to ignore it. Suddenly I felt myself being dragged over, before being set down again. 

I blushed, "E-eh, Shadow--?"

Shadow shush me and began to softly play with my hair. I settled down on his lap hesitantly but soon found myself leaning into his touch. He was so gentle, it was surprising--in a good way. I closed my eyes again, focusing on the comforting pleasure the physical touch was giving me. Then slowly but surely I began to drift off into pleasant dreams.

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 


	9. 8 || I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream

⚠ Mentions of suicide in the chapter and an attempt at kidnapping/harassment ⚠

𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖈𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖘

☠

I woke up in something warm and soft, like what I imagined a fluffy cloud to feel like. I purred as I snuggled closer into whatever the soft thing was. Slowly I opened my eyes, focusing my vision on the thin, silky white--hair? I shot up, slipping off the couch and hitting my head against the coffee table.

"Oww! Son of a--" I whined, rolling over as I clutched the spot I had hit my head. I felt someone grab my arm, and when I opened my eyes I was met with those beautiful pair of crimson games. My face flushed, "Morning Shad--"

Shadow looked worried, but then his face turned into a scowl, "You really need to start being more careful. One of these days you'll end up with something broken, or worse--"

I nodded meekly, allowing the hedgehog to hoist me up like a child.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I replied nonchalantly. Suddenly a frantic knock came at the door, making me turn my head a bit too quickly. I wheezed in pain, spitting out a curse.

Shadow shook his head, "I'll get it." The hedgehog walked away and within a few seconds, I heard him open the door. "Wait, what the hell are you--"

Before I knew what hit me, I was tackled to the floor, my face being smothered in a bunch of blue quills. The air was squeezed out of my lungs as my attacker held onto me tighter and tighter. 

"Sonic, Sonic please--" I wheezed. The azure hedgehog reluctantly let me go, but still kept me close to him. 

"What happened?! Why didn't you answer my calls?! Are you alright?!!" Sonic asked. I opened my mouth to speak but struggled to find an answer. My eyes drifted to Shadow who was standing rather annoyed in the background. I felt Sonic's eyes roam around me until they landed on my neck. His expression darkened.

"What the hell happened to (Y/n), Shadow?" Sonic asked, slowly turning to the ebony hedgehog. Shadow crossed his arms, remaining firm.

"A bunch of thugs jumped us last night when (Y/n) was walking home last night, and they tried to choke them. I drove their asses off, and brought (Y/n) back here and decided to stay to make sure the bastards didn't come back," he trailed off, sighing. Sonic turned to me, leaning in close.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Sonic whispered.

"No!" I quickly reassured, a lot louder than I intended to. "Sonic, no! Shadow saved my life; without him, I probably would've been dead--" What I said wasn't entirely a lie, but I couldn't help but feel a bit of twisting the story this way. But if I told him the truth, would he believe me?

At my reassurance, Sonic appeared to relax slightly, but he still seemed rather annoyed by the ebony hedgehog's presence. Shadow quickly picked up on that annoyance, it seemed, and announced that he would take his leave. 

"Are you sure you can drive?" I questioned, stopping him before he could make it to the front door. "I can drive you--"

"I'm fine," Shadow said and glanced back at me. "Take it easy today, okay?" 

I gave him a lopsided smile, shooting him a cheesy thumbs up, "You too." Shadow scoffed, a small smirk on my face as he ruffled my hair a bit and left. I watched him go and then reluctantly went back inside. As I turned around, I was suddenly met face to face with an aggravated azure hedgehog.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Sonic asked. I pushed past him, furrowing my eyebrows. 

"What do you mean?" I questioned. 

"The head pats? The fact that he was practically half-naked in your living room?!! Shadow hates people, he's never been like this with anyone," Sonic tailed me, running his hands through his quills as he appeared confused. I shrugged, moseying to the kitchen to heat some more of that stir fry again. 

"Maybe he's just shy," I pointed out. 

Sonic snorted, rolling his eyes, "Shy my ass--"

I shook my head, chuckling softly, "Look, I don't know why he's suddenly going soft; but it's not necessarily a bad thing, right? And he had a tank top on, so I question your definition of 'half-naked'." 

Sonic opened his mouth, then closed it again, running his hands down his face, "Uhh, whatever, all that matters is that you're safe, and I have you all to myself~"

I began backing up until my back hit the couch, my ears pinning back as the hedgehog advanced towards me.

"Sonic stop being weird," I hissed, swiping at him. "Don't you have work today?!"

The boy's face went completely pale, "N-no, it's Sunday right?" I pulled out my phone, reading the date.

"No, it's Monday," I replied. Sonic suddenly fell backward, a weird, hurled choking noise emitting from his throat. For a moment I thought he was having a heart attack.

"Blaze is gonna kill me--" Sonic wheezed, looking like he was getting ready to great death. I rolled my eyes, unlocking my phone and swiping until I reached Blaze's contact. I clicked her number, biting my lip as I waited.

"Hello?" Blaze's voice came from the other side. 

"Hi Blaze, I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, but I thought I would just tell you that I had a really high fever this morning so Sonic came over and helped me out. It seems like the dumbass forgot to call in though," I eyed Sonic who still paid sprawled out on the floor as I muttered the last bit of the sentence. 

"Well, I suppose I can let him slide, this time, but you better tell him to come prepared tomorrow--"

I shuddered, gulping at the intensity of her words, "Will do ma'am!"

"Oh and (Y/n)," Blaze said. "Take the next few days off and get better. Then as long as you feel ready you can come back to work."

A smile spread across my lips, "Thanks Blaze, you're awesome."

The feline chuckled and said her farewell before hanging up. I put my phone away, walking over and nudging the dead hedgehog's leg with my foot.

"(Y/n) to Sonic, come in; you still alive bud?" I smirked.

"Sonic to (Y/n), no and you're supposed to end with roger, roger," the hedgehog mumbled. I crossed my arms.

"Well, then I guess Sonic won't get to enjoy the rest of the day off, roger,"

Sonic shot up like a firework, "Wait really?! You mean you managed to convince Blaze not to kill me?"

I shrugged, "I guess so--at least until tomorrow."

"I'll take it!!" Sonic cheered, springing to his feet. He waltzed over, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. "We're going to have so much fun today--" We were suddenly interrupted by another frantic knock at the door. I groaned, pushing myself away from Sonic as went to see who it was. For the second time that day, I was tackled to the ground, my face being smothered by lime quills. 

"What happened?! Why didn't you answer my calls?! Are you alright?!! Did you get arrested?! I'm so sorry we left you!!!" Manic sobbed into my shoulder, crushing me beneath his weight. I let out a coarse wheeze, trying to get any amount of air back onto my lungs. Manic must have heard me suffocating, because he quickly got off, apologizing frantically. 

"A-ah, geez, what is it with you and your brother tackling people?" I asked, chuckling dryly. 

"My brother?" Manic repeated, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Sonic emerged from the living room, his arms crossed and face resting in a slightly disappointed scowl. 

"What are you doing here?!" the brothers said in unison. 

"I'm spending the day with (Y/n)!" Sonic sneered, glaring at his brother. 

"Well, that's what I was gonna do!!" Manic snapped, glaring back. "Don't you have work?!"

"Don't you have work?!"Sonic retorted. Manic sat there for a moment, his mouth hung open as he struggled to come up with an excuse. 

"Isn't it Sunday?" he asked. I couldn't help but burst out into laughter, earning me a confused look from both brothers. 

"Oh my goodness, you two are both adorable idiots," I stopped laughing, the realization of what I had just said slowly hitting me. 

"You think we're cute?!!!" Manic squealed, lunging at me in an attempt to snuggle. I shrieked, bolting up just in time to dodge the lime hedgehog, but unfortunately, I was caught in the azure one's arms. Sonic nuzzled his face into my neck, making soft purring noises. 

I let out a meek, strangled cry, "Help me--"

☠

The cold autumn air felt good against my hot skin. Having spent the majority of the day inside, being forced to do whatever the two gremlins wanted me to do, it felt nice to finally have my own space again. Never in my entire life had I been fondled and bugged constantly; well, at least not since my father died. I let out a small chuckle, looking up at the orange-tinted sky as I began to reminisce. I never found myself to be very likable; I was just a plain ol' (f/a) with just (h/l) (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. I don't think most people enjoyed my personality either, or maybe it was just my aura. I was always the freak in school, and that was even more solidified in elementary school the day I had gone home crying after seeing the janitor's soul drifting around in the bathroom after he had recently committed suicide in one of the closest--yeah, that was not fun.

Nowadays though, I had grown to not care at all what names people called me if they even called me anything at all. I was content with being alone and saying that way for the rest of my life. Yet since I moved to Solz, I was suddenly surrounded by people that wouldn't leave me alone and it made me realize just how empty I had felt. Most of my life had been void of any sort of love and affection, I almost felt like I didn't deserve it. What was I saying, I usually didn't think like this, but right now I just seemed to be--gloomy.

"Come on (N/n)," I sighed, muttering to myself. "Why don't we go get some ice cream? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I started walking, recalling an ice cream parlor Sonic and I had walked by on the day he dragged me around. The streets were empty of cars, excluding the ones already parked, and I walked past very few people on my way. Thankfully the parlor was still open, and I was able to get myself some (f/fl)* and a pint of chocolate and vanilla for the boys back home. Licking my ice cream as quickly as I could while still savoring the flavor I paid little attention to my surroundings. A car had pulled up behind me, and someone stepped out.

A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist, pulling me back into the assailant's body. The sudden jerk made me lose my grip on my ice cream, and I could only watch helplessly as it fell to the concrete. 

"Well look who I found again. How've ya been, babycakes~" a voice purred in my arm. I whipped my head around, glaring mercilessly at the person who made me drop my ice cream, only for my blood to run ice cold.

"Get away from me you monster!! You made me drop my ice cream-- " I hissed quietly through gritted teeth. The demon smirked, tilting his head down so he could eye me.

"Oh come on baby! Is that any way to greet someone? I think someone should teach you some manners," the demon licked his lips, nails digging into my arm as he held me closer. 

"Get a life, ya jerk!!!" I lodged my elbow into his stomach, causing the demon to momentarily let me go. I was able to get very far, however, as the demon quickly recovered and snatched me by my hair.

"You absolute bitch, I like you!! I'm gonna have fun hearing you scream!" the demon laughed. Pulling out something from his pocket the demon tried to place it over my mouth, but I did not let him. Suddenly I heard a siren, and flashing red and blue lights filled my vision. The demon cursed, dropping me as he muttered something along the lines of "Damn cops" before getting into his car and speeding off down the street. I heard a door open, and suddenly a figure came rushing towards me. Anxiety rose in me until I realized it was someone familiar. 

"Oh, hey edge lord," I sighed, rubbing my arms where the jerk and dug his nails into. Shadow placed his hands on either side of me, forcing me to face him directly. 

"Stop calling me that, are you okay?!" he asked, a hint of annoyance on his face. I nodded, looking down at my poor ice cream slowly melting on the ground. 

"I dropped my ice cream," I muttered softly. Shadow looked like he wanted to slap me for a moment, but his expression softened as he let out a deep sigh. 

"You really are an idiot," he shook his head, reluctantly removing his hands from my arms. I titled my head, what was with him?

"I had everything under control," I crossed my arms, stating firmly. Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly, arching an eyebrow. 

"Oh? So what if I told you that bastard had a gun as well? If the chloroform didn't work, I'm sure a bullet would knock you out," Shadow tsked. I stood there with my mouth hung open for a moment, going to attempt to argue but I decided it best not to.

I let out a small, angry huff, mumbling, "Thank you--"

"Sorry, what was that?" Shadow leaned closer, a cocky smirk spread across his face. 

"I said thank you," I repeated loudly in his ear, making the hedgehog wince in pain. He flicked my forehead, rubbing the ear that I had yelled into. 

"You're welcome," he grumbled quietly. "Now, come with me, princess--"

Before I could argue, Shadow grabbed my wrist, dragging me to his car and shoving me in the backseat. 

"You really like pushing people around, don't you?" I sneered as he got into the driver seat. Shadow glanced back at me, but only for a moment. 

"Not really, just you," he chuckled and began to drive. I slumped back in the plush seat, setting my remaining ice cream down next to me; hopefully, it wouldn't melt. As I did this, I noticed the color of the leather was different than the one I had sat in before. 

"You got a new car," I said. Shadow hummed in response. 

"Because a certain someone broke my window, the city just decided to give me a new one. It's one of the latest models, it's nice I guess," he explained. I let out a small 'oooh', impressed. 

"Man, I wish I could get a new car," I sulked. 

"What's wrong with yours?"

"Are you kidding me, have you seen that thing? It's hideous!! And besides, it barely works half the time because my mom drove it home drunk so many nights, and got into countless accidents!" I instantly regretted raising my voice at the end, biting my cheek. I felt Shadow's gaze peer at me from the rearview mirror; he didn't say anything. "Sorry," I began after a few moments of silence. 

"What for?" Shadow asked. 

I stuttered, "For, ya know--raising my voice, and telling you my sob story you probably don't want to hear."

The next words that fell out of his mouth surprised you, "I do want to hear if you wouldn't mind telling."

I paused for a moment, a mixture of emotions boiled in my chest; I was unsure if I should tell him. Taking a deep breath, I slowly started to spill my entire life to him, starting with my father's death and so on. The whole time Shadow remained quiet, making small noises of acknowledgment every so often, telling me he was still listening. I told him about my mom, my experience in school, my "superpower". After I started, it felt so easy just to continue talking to him, I almost felt like I revealed too much. 

"So yeah, the pretty much sums up my life until this point," I let out a soft breath a relief, and invisible weight lifting from my shoulders. Apparently, I had talked the entire ride home because as soon as I looked up I was at my house again. "Dang, I talk a lot," I chuckled, rubbing my cheek sheepishly. 

From the mirror, I saw a smile break out on Shadow's face, "You feel better now?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "Yeah, I do."

Shadow got out and went around to unlock the door. As I stepped out, I quickly leaned the doorframe and placed a quick peck on his cheek. I had never seen the hedgehog more flustered than at the exact moment. I couldn't help but giggle as I quickly ran up to my front door before he had any chance to retaliate. 

"Thank you Shadow," I grinned. "We should get coffee sometime." I winked at him, leaving the hedgehog in a dazed state as I went inside, slowly closing the door. I walked into the living room, seeing the two brothers had not moved from the places on the couch. I snuck around the corner, then let out a shrill roar, scaring the two boys senseless. 

"(Y/n)!!!" they both shrieked, cheeks pink from embarrassment. I stifled out a laugh, holding my stomach in an attempt to contain it. 

"Not cool, (Y/n), not cool," Sonic muttered, narrowing his eyes at me. Eventually, I managed to calm myself down and get out an apology, which the boys did not accept. 

"Oh! I know what will get you to forgive me~ Let me go--" I trailed off, realizing I had left the ice cream in Shadow's car. I hissed, bolting to the door, hoping that by some miracle I could manage to catch him again. But before I could take a step outside, my eyes caught sight of a bag with two pints of ice cream in it, and a note neatly folded on top. I bent down and picked up the note, unfolding it carefully. 

_Dork,_

_stop forgetting your stuff_

_\- S_

_p.s. here's my number_

_I'd like to take you up on that coffee_

A giddy smile spread across my face as I quickly added the number to my contacts. I took the ice cream inside, feeling nothing more than complete happiness. I set the ice cream down on the kitchen counter. 

"Who wants ice cream?!!" 

☠

|| ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ || 

*(f/fl) - Favorite Flavor (of ice cream) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey you lovely person, how are you enjoying this story so far? Do you like it?  
> If you do, would you like to see more stories like this? I appreciate all comments and feedback I get uwu  
> I hope you all have a wonderful day


	10. 9 || Black, Like my Soul

𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖒 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖗𝖔𝖓

☠

I let out a long, aggravated sigh, resting my arm over my forehead in an attempt to soothe the incessant pounding. Carefully reaching over I grabbed my phone to check the time, _2:30 AM_. This only made me more annoyed. Throwing my blankets off me I decided to head downstairs for a midnight snack, perhaps that would help get me to sleep. I descended the dark stairs until I finally arrived at the fridge, recoiling as the bright light from inside the icebox hit my eyes. Milk, raw meat, condiments, nothing seemed appealing at the moment. Groaning I popped open the freezer, my eyes landing on a three-minute pizza crammed in the corner; that would have to do. I pulled the very healthy choice out from the freezer, dumping it out on a plate and slamming it into the microwave. 

I leaned back against the counter, listening to the dull hum filling room. Other than the microwave, the house was eerily quiet. I looked out into the darkness, wondering if there really was something waiting, just beyond the light's reach. Suddenly, I was startled by the chime of the microwave, signaling the food was done. Shaking off my previous thoughts I grabbed the pathetic excuse for a pizza and flipped on the lights in the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I saw something dash back into the shadows, but it was gone just as quickly as I noticed it. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand as I sat down and began munching. 

"Silver?" I called out, finding the silence to be too suffocating, but sadly no reply came. "Are there any monsters here to kill me?" 

Thankfully, no reply came, yet still, the sense that someone was watching me continued to grow stronger even as I climbed back upstairs and to bed. I pulled my sheets over my head, a childish action, but one that brought me some bit of comfort as I drifted off into my dreams. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling only slightly better. My headache had gone away, but my body now felt heavy, sluggish, like I was beginning to catch a cold. But my two days off sick of work were up, and I needed to get some fresh air. I took a quick cold shower, trying to wake myself up a little, then threw on my uniform and headed to work. Rain poured down like cats and dogs, making the trip _oh so enjoyable_. When I finally stepped into the employee break room to get the rest of my stuff for the day, I was a drenched and trembling mess. 

"(Y/n)? What's up babeee--oh my dear cheesecake, what happened to you?" Sonic chuckled nervously as he entered.

"Rain," I replied, trying to remain calm as I opened my locker, chucking my soaked coat into it. Sonic let out a small sigh, walking over to me and placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. 

"Come on," he said softly. "Let's go get you a fresh spare set."

I sighed, giving him a small, thankful smile as I allowed him to lead me away. After Sonic helped me find a new fitting uniform, we still had a few more minutes before opening to catch up. Not much had happened in the past couple of days, minus the fact that Manic sprained his wrist after a skateboard mishap. I was hesitant to tell Sonic about last night, but eventually, I let the beans spill.

"I don't really know what to do," I admitted after telling him. 

"Could it be ghosts?" Sonic suggested slyly. 

I snorted, teasing, "Now you're beginning to sound like Manic--"

Sonic rolled his eyes, chuckling, "I kid, I kid, but this is serious though. Maybe you should call the cops and file a report?"

I thought for a moment, clutching my arm, "Maybe, but I don't know--" I let out a frustrated groan, "This is just what I needed."

Sonic's lips curled down into a frown, "Hey, it'll be okay (Y/n). If you don't feel safe, you could always spend a few days over at my place, I know neither Manic nor I would mind. But if not, one of us could always spend a night or two with you, just to make sure you're safe and all, ya'know?"

I smiled a bit, "Thanks, Blue." 

Sonic nodded, flashing a reassuring grin before a familiar chime began to play on the intercoms, signaling the start of a new workday. 

"Well, let's get to work," Sonic winked, sauntering off to hide in an aisle for a bit. A part of me wanted to join him, but I thought it would be best to actually do something productive to distract my mind. Another day, another dollar.

☠

By the end of my shift, the rain had not ceased even a little. Blaze came to my rescue before I left, however, and let me have one of the umbrellas we had overstocked on. My trip to my car was a dry one this time. Once inside I sat for a minute, allowing myself a moment to cool down. Something buzzed in my pocket, interrupting my brief meditative moment. To my surprise, it was the edgelord. I had only messaged him once before just to check up on him, but he hadn't responded until now it seemed. 

**I'm fine, I'm sorry I didn't respond to you earlier...**

**U had me worried there, I thought u were dead**

**Again, I'm sorry.**

**Edgelord it's fine, I was joking ^^;**

**anyways, what's up?**

**Well, I was wondering if perhaps you are free this evening for a cup of coffee?**

**I could make arrangements ;)**

**Does 6 o'clock work?**

**Yeah, that's good**

**Alright**

**See you then**

I set my phone down as happiness began to bubble within me, despite my failed attempt at subtle flirting. I quickly checked the time and _~~sped~~_ safely drove home to get into some more appropriate clothing. I put on a nice shirt and a pair of new jeans, then went to work with my hair into something cute. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time, my anxiety beginning to nip at me. _Why am I doing this? He probably doesn't like me, so why bother dressing up? No, no, no, it doesn't matter; I'm dressing up for me, yeah, who cares what he thinks._

Striding with confidence I walked back to my car and drove over to Sol's Spice. It was still a few minutes before six, but I decided to go in anyway. The warmth of the shop instantly invited me in even before I made it through the door; it was like a little spot of warmth and sunshine in the cold, wet, cruel world. Soft classical music played from a radio sitting at the counter, and I heard singing come from within the kitchen in the back. My eyes drifted around until I saw a little cream rabbit, eyes glued to a coloring book she was drawing in. She suddenly stopped coloring and looked up at me, her chocolate brown eyes staring at me with wonder. I waved at her, smiling. 

"Hi there," I said. She smiled back timidly, waving. 

"Hello miss," she greeted back. "Are you Mr. Police officer's nice friend that he really likes?"

"Mr. Police officer? You mean Shadow right? And well, I could guess you could say we're friends, I don't know if he _really likes_ me per se," I replied sheepishly, scratching my cheek.

The young rabbit giggle, "My name is Cream, would you like to color with me?"

I smiled, shrugging, "Sure, thanks Cream. I'm (Y/n) by the way." I sat down next to her, picking up a crayon as Cream slid over her coloring book so it was between both of us. I began to color, "So, does Mr. Police officer come here often?"

"Mhm!" Cream nodded. "He comes here nearly every day around this time. Usually, he comes and helps me with my homework or plays with me."

"Ah, I see," I chuckled. "That's nice of him."

Cream giggled, "He's very nice, and he says you're very nice too."

"Oh?" I hummed. "What else does he say about me?"

"He says that he thinks you're a bit silly at times and clumsy," she retold. 

"Oh--" I huffed, _what kind words_.

"And he also says you're very selfless, and courageous, and of course very pretty," Cream smiled brightly at me. I felt my cheeks start to heat up.

"He really said all those things?" I questioned. 

Cream opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing. I turned my head, my eyes meeting those of a familiar ebony hedgehog. He looked a bit winded and surprised to see me. He stood staring at me for a few moments, eyes scanning up and down. I swear, for a moment, I saw his cheeks flush.

"Heya Edgelord, what happened? You run a marathon?" I finally asked, snapping him from his daze. 

"I ran out of gas and I was late getting home, I hope I didn't make you wait too long," he wheezed, wiping his cheek as he walked over.

"It's cool," I giggled. "You're on time actually, I came a bit early."

Shadow breathed a quick sigh of relief and just then, Vanilla came out from the kitchen. 

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry dears, I didn't hear you come in!" she fretted. 

"Don't worry about it, ma'am, we actually just got here," I quickly reassured her. The mother rabbit sighed, then smiled. 

"Well what can I get for you two today?" she asked sweetly. 

"Coffee, black please," Shadow responded. "And whatever (Y/n) wants."

"Hmm, I'll try a London Fog, please. And you know what throw in a piece of that divine-looking chocolate cake," I drooled, beginning to pull out my wallet. My hand was suddenly stopped by Shadow, confused I looked over at him. 

"It's on me," he said. Once again, I felt my cheeks heat up; thankfully I don't think he noticed as he paid for the drinks and cake. We sat at a table for two as we waited, neither one of us speaking a word. 

"So," I finally began, finding the silence unbearable. "How've you been? Those scratches are healing up okay, right?"

"Yes," Shadow cleared his throat. "They're fine, thanks to you."

The conversation died off, the awkwardness settling back in. 

"Hey Shadow, can I talk to you about--"

"Here's your drinks dearies," Vanilla interrupted me, serving us our drinks. "And two slices of cake, plus a cookie, on the house." She winked and made her way back to the kitchen, giggling. I snatched up my drink and quickly started to guzzle it, a blush forming across my face. Shadow seemed equally flustered, as he took a long sip of his coffee. The sweetness of the drink comforted me, and slowly I felt my cheeks cool off a bit. I set my cup down, grabbing a slice of cake and pushing the other one towards Shadow. The hedgehog finally set his coffee down, looking at the cake, then me. 

"Do you--not like cake?" I asked slowly. 

"I do, I do," Shadow answered hurriedly. "I was just thinking about--nothing, nevermind, what did you want to talk about?" The hedgehog slid the slice over to himself and took a bite, waiting for my response. 

I took a deep breath, picking at my cake, "I think someone's been watching me while I'm at home."

Shadow choked, nearly spitting out the drink of coffee he was in the middle of taking; then ensued a coughing fit. I started to get up to go pat him on the back, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Why the hell haven't you told me sooner?!" he snapped.

"It's only been a couple of days!" I clarified, trying to pry my wrist from his grasp. "And besides I don't know if it's a person or a, you know--"

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you didn't tell me," he responded, loosening his grip somewhat.

I sighed, clasping my free hand around the one that held my other, "I don't want to bother you with stuff that may just be my imagination, Shad. You've got plenty to deal with already, I'm sure."

"I'd drop anything, no matter what I was doing, to come to help you," he asserted, massaging circles onto the back of my hand with his thumb. I stared at the hedgehog in confusion, almost questioning if I heard him correctly. 

"You would--?"

Shadow opened his mouth to respond, then closed it for some reason. He glanced down, letting go of my hands as he seemed to struggle with himself for a response, "Of course I would. I'm an officer, it's my job after all."

My heart stung a bit as I relaxed back in my chair, "Oh, right, of course--"

Shadow peered down at his hands for a moment, seeming like he wanted to say something more, but instead, he shoved a fork-full of cake into his mouth and chewing slowly. We sat mostly in silence for the rest of the evening, finishing our cake and drinks until came time to part ways.

"Thanks for the drink and cake, Shadow. I'll have to pay you back sometime," I chuckled dryly as we stepped outside. 

"No need, it's fine," Shadow answered. I gave the hedgehog a half-smile and went to say goodbye when I felt someone pull gently on my tail. I looked down to see it was Cream, who was offering me a piece of paper.

I took it hesitantly, "What's this?"

"It's a drawing of you and Mr. Shadow on your wedding day, and I'm the flower girl!!" she explained excitedly. My face turned a million shades of red as I looked at the drawing of what was supposedly our wedding day--I thought I was going to collapse. 

"Thank you Cream, that is very kind of you," Shadow acknowledged, his own muzzle stained red. Cream smiled, then gave me a quick hug around my waist before running back inside. 

"You two should hold hands!!" she shouted, before hastily closing the door, leaving us both stunned. I stood in shock for a few moments, that was until I felt someone's fingers intertwine with mine. 

"I'll--take you to your car," Shadow said, not making eye contact with me as he lugged me alongside him. I clutched onto the drawing tightly as I stared down at our hands. _Why did this feel so right?_ My cheeks were still red even when we stopped walking. Shadow hesitantly let go of my hand, turning to face me. 

"So, I guess this is a goodnight, and see you later," he scratched the back of his neck. I looked down at the ground, merely nodding my head meekly in response. I heard Shadow take in a sharp breath before his hands cupped my cheeks and he pulled me into a soft kiss. My heart melted, and I found myself wishing it would have lasted forever as he quickly pulled away and began sprinting. "That's payback for the other day!!" he shouted. 

A shrill noise escaped my throat as I watched the hedgehog run off. _No way, no way, no way, no way, no, way, no way, NO WAY!!_ I screamed internally. _WHAT WAS THAT?!!_ I quickly jumped into my car and started driving home, not paying attention to any of my surroundings. _Did he kiss me? He kissed me! HE ACTUALLY KISSED ME!!_

"Payback my ass!! I kissed him on the cheek, and he smooches me! He freaking kissed me on the lips like that the same as a peck on the cheek! Oooh, I'm going to get him back for this," I fumed, my face still redder than a beet. "Yeah, I'll surprise him with a kiss!! Then he'll be the blushing one, HAHAHAha-- _whatamIdoing??!_ " 

I bumped my forehead on the wheel a few times, trying to cleanse myself of the lewd thoughts running through my mind. For the rest of the drive, the only noise I could make was something in between a whine and a squeal. 

"Hello (Y/n)!!" Silver greeted me as I walked through the door.

"Aaaahhwhydidhedothat?" I responded. Silver gazed at me concerned. 

"Do you have a fever? Your cheeks are sure red," he pointed out.

"Why must he play with my heart this way?" I sniffled. "He's such a meanie!!"

Silver panicked, attempting to comfort me as I sobbed. 

"There, there (Y/n), I'm sure that whatever is going on will be okay soon," Silver said, patting me on the back. 

"Hey Silver," I whimpered. "Do you think Shadow likes me--?"

Silver looked puzzled for a moment, then he beamed, "Of course he likes you (Y/n)!! You're so sweet and smart, and brave, and you make good tea!! How could he not like you??"

"Like _like-like_?" I asked, still wailing like a heartbroken teenager. Silver nodded stiffly.

"(Y/n), as one of Shadow's closest friends, I know when he has a crush on someone. I may be dead, but I still got that skill," he winked, making me laugh a little. 

"Thanks, Silv," I cleaned my face, letting out a shaky sigh.

"Of course (Y/n), I'm happy to help! But may I ask why you were so worked up over him?" 

"He kissed me," I answered. 

"He--he KISSEE YOU?!! AND I WASN'T THERE TO SEE IT!! NOO!!" Silver wept, throwing his head back. "I wanted to get a photo---"

"Photo? Photo!! Nobody's taking photos of anyone kissing!! Especially not Shadow and me!" I barked. 

"But it would have been so cute!! _I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED IT!!_ " Silver began to weep.

I struggled to make a comeback, "You--I--AH, JUST SHUT UP!!" I raced upstairs, flinging my door shut behind me and launching myself onto my bed. I screamed into a pillow for a solid minute before I finally had nothing left bottled inside of me. I let out a long sigh as I pulled my head from my pillow, reaching over and checking my phone. I had no notifications, which disappointed me for some reason, however the moment I went to place my phone back down I received a message; it was from the edgelord himself. 

**I apologize for my actions earlier this evening, I was not thinking straight.**

I took in a deep breath, squeezing my pillow a bit. Three options went through my head on how I could respond; casually, angrily, stupidly. Evidently, I went with stupid. 

**It's fine, edgelord ~**

**In fact, I really enjoyed the kiss uwu**

I wanted to scream at myself as I reread what I just texted. For the next minute or so, I sat there biting my nails as the three dots that signaled the hedgehog was writing continued to disappear and reappear.

**uwu...?**

**You're an idiot**.

**But I liked it too...**

**ASDKHFSADDGG U DID?!!**

**Yes??**

**Are you okay?**

**I'm cool fam AGAJSKHAKSH**

**Okay...**

**Then perhaps, tomorrow, would you like to get together again?**

**I need to head into the city for work and I wouldn't mind your company.**

**I understand if you're busy though.**

**No, no, no! I'm free!!**

**What time?**

**I'll pick you up around 7.**

**Is that okay?**

**Yeah, that's good!**

**Good.**

**I'll see you tomorrow then.**

**Goodnight, (Y/n).**

I couldn't help but let out an apprehensive chuckle as the conversation ended. _'UwU'? 'UwU'?!!_ _Did I really just write 'UwU'?!!_ _Bloody hell, I really am an idiot--_ Although I most likely tarnished my reputation for the rest of my miserable life, I couldn't help but feel excited for tomorrow. Snapping me from my daydreams, I heard a soft tapping noise on the door. 

"(Y/n)?" Silver timidly announced as he slowly phased through the door. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about earlier. I hope I didn't make you upset with the whole photo thing--" He fumbled with his finger, eyes glued down to the ground as his ears drooped in shame. 

"Silv, it's fine, I know you didn't mean any harm in it, so don't beat yourself up over it," I brushed his apology off, trying to sound positive. 

"So, you're not angry?" he asked, peeking his head up slightly. 

"I could never be angry at you, you precious baby," I cooed, making faces at him. Silver smiled nervously, his expression a mixture of confusion and discomfort. "Hey, by the way, have you noticed anyone hanging around here lately?"

Silver looked a bit alarmed by my unforeseen question, "No--? At least not since the day with the creepy note; I've been keeping a close watch! Why do you ask?"

I exhaled, "It's nothing. I guess I'm just a bit paranoid"

"Oh, okay!" Silver replied. "Rest assured I will continue to watch over and protect you and your house." The hedgehog placed his hands on his hips and held up his head with pride.

I smiled, "And as a thank you, tomorrow I'll look into something that might help us find your purpose for still being here." 

"R-really?!" Silver gasped. "Where at? Can I come with you?!"

"It's the library, in the city," I answered. "Can you make it out that far?"

Silver frowned, "No--I don't think I can." 

"Hey, forget about it, kay? I've got this," I said. "If I find anything that might be of value to you, I'll tell you; I promise."

He nodded, his bright smile gradually returning, "Okay, (Y/n)!"

I reached my hand out and ruffled it back and forth just above his head. I felt nothing but cold air underneath my fingers, but Silver did seem happy from it. 

"Say, why don't we go down and watch some TV?"

"Spongebob?!" Silver asked eagerly. 

"Why don't I introduce you to something a little cooler, ever watch (f/tv/s/n)*?" I grinned. Silver shook his head, practically rippling with excitement. 

"No but it already sounds cool!!" he replied. I giggled, motioning for him to follow me downstairs. 

☠

I staggered backward, the sudden realization of a change in my surroundings crashing against me like a tidal wave. _Where am I?_ Tall, dark trees surrounded me on every side, stretching up like tall giants. A thin mist cloaked the air, distorting everything beyond a few feet. A stillness sat in the air, one that brought an uneasy feeling to my stomach; someone was watching. Hesitantly, I took a step forward, the soft earth sinking beneath me slightly. I took another step, and then another, and soon I found myself walking deeper into the fog. With each I took, I swore I caught a step mimicking my own, but when I turned my head behind me I saw nothing but fog. I continued walking for what seemed like hours when finally my feet sank into the shallows of a lake. The water was a dark black so thick I couldn't see past where it rose to on my leg. It was surprisingly warm, which I quickly brushed off, adding it to the list of weird things in this dream-- **wait, _was_ this a dream?** If I could feel the warmth of the water, did that mean I was awake? No, no, no, no, no that isn't possible!!

"This isn't a dream," a rather familiar voice spoke from beside me. I quickly looked up to see an ivory hedgehog standing with me in the water, but something was quite right. His face was nearly completely hollow, except for two gaping holes where his eyes should have been. Black water slowly trickled down from the holes, trailing down his face and into the water. "At least, not quite," the strange hedgehog continued. "We're in a sort of limbo state, like a coma if you could call it that--at least you are."

"Coma?!" I echoed. "B-but how? Am I dying?"

"No, you're safe," they reassured, to little effect. "At least for now. I brought you here because I needed to warn you of something."

"Who are you? What is this place?! What do you mean 'warn me of something?" I questioned, panic beginning to rise in my chest. All of a sudden, the water beneath me began to bubble, growing hotter and hotter. I tried to back up, to move even an inch but my feet were glued to the ground. 

"You must remain calm," the hedgehog spoke. "If you don't, it will only grow agitated with you."

"It--?!" I almost shrieked, but quickly bit my tongue. I took a few deep breaths, digging my nails into my palls so hard blood began to trickle. Despite the stinging in my hands, I felt calm now, and the water stopped bubbling and became warm once more. 

"You're very brave, most would have succumbed to the fear and tried to run away by now," the hedgehog admitted casually. 

"Oh buddy you are very mistaken, I am terrified right now," I said, staring down at the water as if I were expecting something to pop out at me. 

"Regardless, I now see why it has become so infatuated with you,"

"Who's this it? You're not talking about this water, are you? 'Cause if you are--"

"No, the 'it' I am referring to is not here right now, but it will come soon if we're not careful; that is why I need you to be quiet for a moment and listen. When you wake up tomorrow, someone is going to die, and if you're not careful it just might be someone you are close to. If at any moment you hear the words 'black water' you need to run straight home and don't come out until the next day. You fail to do this, and I am afraid things are going to get very ugly for you very quickly," they warned. 

My mouth hung open in shock, "What are you talking about?"

"(Y/n) trust me please," the hedgehog placed their hands on both of my shoulders, squeezing them tightly. "Don't question what I say and just obey, it's the only way you and your friends will stay safe! If you don't you'll only end up like Silver!"

"Wait," I gasped. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, what do you mean like Silver? You're not making any--"

Suddenly we were interrupted by a loud growl coming from the opposite side of the lake.

"It doesn't matter now, you need to wake up (Y/n), **wake up, WAKE UP!!"**

9 20 19 9 14 20 8 5 23 1 20 5 18 

☠

──⭒─⭑─⭒──

*(f/tv/s/n) - Favorite TV Show Name 

_an alternative title for this chapter: (Y/n) and Shadow, KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE_ ♡(˶╹̆ ▿╹̆˵)و✧♡

_also I figured out how to do this fancy text stuff now and I feel rather stupid for not reading how to do it sooner_

_I hope some things are a little easier to read now, at least during the texting scenes_


End file.
